Living and working in Norway
Norway - up north
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Length 1750 km
432 km at the widest
6 km at the narrowest
Long coastline
7th largest country in
Europe
• 16 persons per km2
Geography
•Population 5 mill
•Immigrants 500.000
•Capital Oslo
•612.000 inhabitants
•19 counties
•Biggest cities:
•Bergen 250.000
•Trondheim 170.000
•Stavanger 121.000
Norway
• Currency: Norwegian
kroner - NOK
• Constitutional
monarchy King
Harald V and Queen
Sonja
Characteristics
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- 30° to + 30°C
Bright summer – dark winter
Nature variety
Outdoor activites
Hight standard of living
Extensive welfare system
Safe working conditions
Language
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Norwegian or a scandinavian language
Norwegian courses in most towns
You have to pay for the language course
Two official forms.
- Standard Norwegian and new Norwegian
• Close to Swedish and Danish
• Norwegians speak English well
• Many regional dialects
Cultur
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Flat structure in the workplace
Conformity/Equality/No special treatment
Enjoying space, keeping distance, privacy
Cold lunch
”Dugnad” – working for free
Dress code
Importance of nature
Nav EURes
• www.eures.europa.eu/ - felles europeisk database
• www.nav.no - jobb i utlandet og i Norge
• www.eures.no – informasjon om å jobbe og bo i
utlandet
The Labour market in Norway
• Current situation
- 2,7 % unemployment
- current supply of vacant positions pr.day approx. 1000
• Sector with highest unempolyment
- Building and construction (3,7%)
- Industry (3,6 %)
• Sectors with lowest unemployment
- Education ( 1,1%)
- Engineering and IT (1,2%)
Labour Market – shortages/demand
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Engineers mainly oil & gas
IT specialists (with experience)
Mechanical Industry (skilled workers)
Health sector ( doctors, dentists and specialised
nurses)
Hotel and tourism (sesonal chefs and waiters)
Preschool teachers
Construction sector (highly skilled workers only)
Transport (bus drivers and long-distance)
Agricultural workers (skilled)
Hotel and restaurant
• A need for chefs and cooks
• Waiters, headwaiters and
barkeepers
• Biggest need in and around Oslo
• Mountain and fjord areas also
• Particularly during summer season
• Good language skills required
Working conditions
• Written contract is mandatory
• 6 months probational period
• Periode of notice – 3 months
- 2 weeks during probational period
• Salary paid one a month
• Employer draw tax from your monthly pay
• 37,5 working hours per week
• Shift workers can have 35,5 hours working week
• Maximum 40 hours per week
• Membership in a trade union can be useful…
Working conditions
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Holiday leave is 25 working days per year
Holiday pay normally paid out in the month of June
Holiday pay 12% of gross pay for trade union members
10,2% for non trade union members
Holiday pay is accumulated
Labour Inspection Authority: www.arbeidstilsynet.no
Recidence/registration
• Norway is an EEA (not EU) member
• EU/EEA citizen have the right to work in Norway from
the first day of arrival
• Job holders must register with UDI (Directorate of
Immigration):
- register online or the nearest police station or Service
Centre for Foreign workers (Oslo, Stavanger, Tromsø)
• Job seekers self-register only when staying longer than
3 months
• You will also need a National Identification number
- Tax office/population register – www.skateetaten.no
Taxes
• Working in Norway for a Norwegian employer, you pay
income tax and national insurance contribution in
Norway
• Average income tax is 28%
• National insurance contribution 7,8%
• Deductions!
EU citizens are entitled to a deduction called
”standardfradrag” in the two first years (10% or max
NOK 40.000 per year)
• House morgage, loans/debts increae your deductions
• Tax return submitted every year in April
Is Norway expensive?
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Most Norwegians families have two incomes
Income tax is average for Europe
Housing is expensive (approx 35-45% of income)
Food (except meat) and clothes are not so expensive
Alcohol and cigarettes are very expensive
Eating out in a restaurant is also expensive
One beer will cost about 8 Euro and a glass of wine
about 10 Euro in a pub/restaurant. One coffee about
3,5 Euro
Jobbseeking
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Make a Curriculum Vitae (CV) in English
Europass v increasingly common
Application letter maximum 1 page
Use www.gulesider.no and company web sites
On-line CV registration very common
Contact employers directly
Use your personal network
Social media!
Jobbseeking – The CV
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Personalia (name, address etc.)
Education
Work experience
Courses
Language skills
Interests
References (former employer + phone numbers)
Photo (not required)
1-2 pages maximum
Useful websites
Job related
• www.nav.no (Labour and Welfare organisation)
• www.nav.no/eures (Nav Eures Norway)
• www.eures.europa.eu
Study in Norway
• www.studyinnorway.no
• www.nokut.no (Recognition of higher education)
Useful web sites
New in Norway
• www.norway.no (Gateway to public sector)
• www.visitnorway.no (Travel)
• www.nyinorge.no (New in Norway)
Official pages
• www.skatteetaten.no (Tax card and personal number)
• www.toll.no ( Customs)
• www.udi.no ( Work and residence permits, registration)
• www.mattilsynet.no (Import of animals and plants)
Thank You!
Hallgeir Johansen
eures@nav.no