Employment rate in Norway 2009-2019, by gender

Over the past decade, the employment rate in Norway was consistently higher for men than for women. In 2019, the Norwegian labor force employed 70.5 percent of men and 65.1 percent of women. When compared to 2009, however, employment rates for both men and women decreased slightly; a development which is primarily caused by an aging population.

The income gap

Not only do women face lower employment than men, but a significant gender pay gap also persists in Norway. Based on the average monthly salary in both the public and private sectors, men generally earn a higher wage than women. In 2019, the difference amounted to around seven thousand Norwegian kroner for employees in the private sector as well as in the central government.

Female top managers

Gender discrimination is also measurable by looking at those holding higher positions. While men continue to dominate leadership positions, the number of women in top manager positions increased slightly over the past years. Among the 200 largest companies in Norway, 47 percent of health industry companies were led by women in 2020. In the materials sector, however, only 16 percent of the top managers were women.