Half of Ukrainians in Norway are in work

– Four and a half years on from Russia’s full-scale invasion, many of those who have fled Ukraine for Norway are in work. This demonstrates that the efforts made by municipalities, employers and the Ukrainians themselves are yielding results,’ said Minister of Labour and Social Inclusion Kjersti Stenseng.

The figures from Statistics Norway show that 6 in 10 Ukrainian employees who arrived in the country following the invasion in February 2022 work in one of the following sectors:

• Human health and social work activities
• Wholesale and retail trade; repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles
• Accommodation and food service activities
• Manufacturing

–  Work is the main pathway for refugees into Norwegian society and to being able to provide for themselves. The introduction programme for immigrants is an essential tool. With almost half of Ukrainian refugees now in work, it shows that the programme’s heightened focus on employability is paying off,’ said Ms Stenseng.   

From north to south

Every one of Norway’s municipalities has housed displaced Ukrainians in the years since 2022. Troms is the county with the highest proportion of Ukrainians in work in the 20–66 age group. There are significant variations between counties.

– Ukrainians have become an integral part of local communities across the country. They are providing much needed labour in many municipalities,’ said Ms Stenseng.  

Proportion in employment, by county (table below)

Troms	54,3
Finnmark	51,9
Nordland	51,7
Buskerud	51,6
Vestland	50,8
Rogaland	50,2
Møre og Romsdal	48,3
Akershus	46,7
Østfold	46,6
Vestfold	46,4
Oslo	45,3
Trøndelag	44,4
Innlandet	43,0
Agder	42,8
Telemark	41,7

You can read more about the figures on the Statistics Norway website (in Norwegian only).