Norwegian statistics: Slight drop in immigrant employment in 2024

Net growth in number of employed

Despite the percentage decrease, the number of employed immigrants increased by 15,300 from the previous year. In contrast, the non-immigrant population experienced a decline of about 4,500 employed persons.

Immigrants from non-EU European countries saw the largest increase in employment share, rising by 2.7 percentage points. The largest decrease was observed among immigrants from new EU member states (joined after 2004), where employment fell by 2.3 percentage points.

Apart from immigrants from Africa—who saw a slight increase of 0.5 percentage points—most other groups experienced only minor declines. Nonetheless, immigrants from non-EU European countries had the lowest employment rate overall, at 54.2 percent. This is largely due to the high proportion of recent Ukrainian refugees in this group. Among Ukrainians who settled in Norway between 2022 and 2024, 31 percent were employed at the end of 2024. Most are believed to be refugees. While other refugee-dominated groups from the same period—such as Afghanistan, Eritrea, Syria, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo—had employment rates between 20 and 24 percent.

Many in service and low-skilled jobs

Among Ukrainian immigrants who arrived between 2022 and 2024, nearly 35 percent worked in sales and service jobs. For immigrants from the other mentioned countries, the figure was even higher, at 51 percent. These jobs often include care roles such as kindergarten assistants and care aides, with Ukrainian women notably represented.

Cleaning and helper roles made up the second-largest job category for both groups—21 percent among Ukrainians and 26 percent among other groups—mostly comprising low-skilled labor. Additionally, 12.5 percent of Ukrainians worked as machine operators or in transport, and 10 percent as craftsmen—both male-dominated fields.

Compared to the broader immigrant population from Asia and Africa, recently arrived Ukrainians and other groups were more concentrated in low-skilled jobs and less represented in academic or professional roles. This is likely due to their short time in Norway. However, as many Ukrainian immigrants are highly educated, this is expected to change over time.

It is also worth noting that recent immigrants from Ukraine and other countries were less likely to work full-time and that only half held permanent positions. This suggests that many of the jobs held by newly arrived immigrants serve primarily as stepping stones for integration, language learning, and gaining work experience.

Source: Statistics Norway – Employment Among Immigrants, Register-Based Data:

Sysselsettinga blant innvandrarar gjekk svakt ned i 2024 – SSB