WASHINGTON: According to Statistics Norway (SSB)’s new report, the seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate was 4.7 per cent in May, roughly unchanged from February. The Labour Force Survey (LFS) shows that the seasonally-adjusted figures for employed persons decreased by 19 000 from February (average of January-March) to May (average of April-June). The decline in the number of employed persons was strongest among those under the age of 25. Of the population aged 15-74 years, 67.2 per cent was employed in May. This is a decrease of 0.6 percentage points since February.
From February (average of January-March) to May (average of April-June), the LFS shows that seasonally-adjusted unemployment increased by 2 000. This change is within the LFS error margin. Adjusted for seasonal variations, 131 000 persons were unemployed in May.
The number of people registered as unemployed or on government initiatives to promote employment with the Labour and Welfare Administration (NAV) remained unchanged from February to May. This figure is also based on seasonally-adjusted figures and three-month averages. The LFS has shown a gradual increase in unemployment from 3.2 per cent in May 2014 to 4.6 per cent in August 2015. Men had the strongest growth. Since August 2015, the seasonally-adjusted unemployment has been fairly stable at around 130 000, approximately 4.6 per cent of the labour force.
