The number of people registered as unemployed in Norway increased to a seasonally adjusted 62.1 thousand in July 2026, up from an upwardly revised fourteen-month low of 61.7 thousand in June. This represented 2.1% of the workforce, compared with 2.0% in the previous month. Unemployment was highest among child and youth care workers, at 3.0% of the labor force, while academic professionals and those employed in health, nursing, and care recorded the lowest rate, at 0.9%.
By region, Oslo and Østfold posted the highest unemployment rates, at 2.9% and 2.8%, respectively, while Troms reported the lowest, at 1.3%. At the same time, labor demand weakened: 25.4 thousand vacancies were advertised in July, equivalent to roughly 1,800 openings per working day and 14% fewer than a year earlier. On a non-seasonally adjusted basis, the number of fully unemployed individuals rose to 64.0 thousand in July, from 58.1 thousand in June.
