Norway Jobseekers Lowest in 9 Months

The number of people registered as out of work in Norway fell for a second month in a row to a seasonally adjusted 62.6 thousand in January 2026 from a downwardly revised 63.6 thousand in the previous month. This marks the lowest since April 2025, corresponding to 2.1% of the workforce. Unemployment declined for almost half of the occupational groups, with the lowest rate in academic professions, as well as health, nursing and care (0.9% of the workforce) and the highest among construction (3.6%). Regionally, Troms and Nordland recorded the lowest jobless rates, at 1.3% and 1.8%, respectively, while Østfold was the highest at 3.1%. Meanwhile, 56,900 vacancies were advertised in January, equivalent to 1,900 per working day, which is 3% lower than a year ago. On a non-seasonally adjusted basis, the number of fully unemployed people rose to 68.9 thousand in January from 62.4 thousand in December 2025.