Employment rate in Norway 2009-2019

The employment rate in Norway decreased slightly over the past decade. In 2019, the employment rate stood at 67.8 percent, which was the highest rate since 2015. Men continuously accounted for the highest share of the workforce during this period. In 2019, the employment rate for men stood at 70.5 percent, whereas it was at 65.1 percent for women. The decrease in employment can be explained by Norway’s aging population.

Increasing employment number

Although the employment rate generally decreased in the past ten years, the number of employed people grew. Over the past year, the number of employed people remained relatively stable. Considering the impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19), the pandemic had little effect on the employment in Norway. As of June 2020, the Norwegian workforce counted 2.84 million people.

Large private sector

Most employees belong to the private sector in Norway. In the second quarter of 2020, over 1.7 million people were employed in private companies or public enterprises. By comparison, most employees in the public sector worked in the local government, followed by the central government.