Living & Working in Norway 2016

Norway Currency: Norwegian kroner, NOK Constitutional monarchy, King Harald V and Queen Sonja Conservative coalition government since October Prime Minister, Mrs Erna Solberg Population: 5,1 million Unemployment (dec. 2015): 3,6 % - increasing € 1  NOK

Geography Population: persons per km2 Capital Oslo – inhabitants 19 counties Biggest cities: Bergen Trondheim Stavanger Kristiansand Bodø Tromsø Vadsø 6.200

Registration and Residence EU/EEA citizens have the right to work in Norway from the first day of arrival. Job holders must register with UDI, the Directorate of ImmigrationUDI –Register online at or at the Service Centre for Foreign workers ( ) Centre for Foreign workerswww.sua.no Job seekers register only if staying longer than 3 months (max 6 months) When you have got a job, you will need to apply for: –a National Identification number (report move to Norway)National Identification number –a Taxation card  Tax office and population register

Labour Market situation Unemployment rate dec. 2015: 3,6 % (increasing) Highest Oil & Gas Construction Industry Transport Engineers: up 70% increase Lowest Academic work Education Health

Labour Market – demand Health sector (next slides) Hotel and Tourism –chefs and waiters/waitresses (seasonal) Education –Researchers and scientists – teaching in scientific and technical subjetcts –Pre-School Teachers Construction Sector –Skilled workers: electricians, roofers, HVAC technicians, drivers of construction engines… –Engineers: water management and waste water treatment, civil works (roads, bridges, tunnels, railways) Services –Car mechanics, lorry mechanics, construction engines mechanics

Healthcare – most wanted professionals Specialized nurses – mostly in hospitals Intensive care Theater nursing (operation nursing) General nurses – mostly in care homes, but also in hospitals for the summer season. Doctors specialists – mostly in hospitals Psychiatry/mental health Substance abuse treatment Radiology Neurology Oncology Eye medicine

Healthcare – most wanted professionals Pharmacists – to private pharmacy chains and public hospital pharmacies Occupational therapists – mostly to care homes NB: occupational therapist is a Bachelor degree study in Norway and is considered as a medical profession General practitioners – mostly to municipal medical centers and care homes

Healthcare - important to know The Healthcare Sector in Norway is mainly public, organised in 3 main parts: The Municipal Health Services (Kommunehelsetjenesten) The Regional Health Authorities (Regionale helseforetak) Private Health Services and companies(Private helsetjenester) Requirements to work as a healthcare professional: –Authorisation from the Norwegian Directorate of Health –B2 level of Norwegian Some hospital trusts provide Norwegian language courses

How to look for and apply for jobs

How to look for jobs Job search on the web the EURES Portal vacancies on nav.no in English Recruiting agencies, agencies for temporary work Network and contacts Social Media (LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter) Direct contact with companies in order to present yourself

Job seeking CV CV in English or Norwegian ( 1-2 pages maximum )  Personal info (name, address, phone, , nationality)  Key qualifications (talents/ special skills / profession)  Education (describe shortly; use bullet points in stead of sentences)  Work experience (describe shortly; use bullet points instead of sentences)  Courses and certificates  Language skills  Interests  References (former employer or colleague + phone number)  Decreasing chronological order  No abbreviations!

Job seeking Cover letter Cover letter in English or Norwegian Write a new application for each job and focus on: Why are you applying for the job Why are you the right person for the job Why the employer should choose you Why Norway +seekers/Write+a+tailored+job+application

Recognition of qualifications Recognition of higher education and of vocational qualifications = NOKUT 2 main types of recognition: NOKUT’s general recognition: for higher education Other recognition systems: for regulated professions, craft certificates etc. NB! about 180 professions are regulated in Norway. Check if your profession is listed in the “List of regulated professions”. Eg.: healthcare professionals, electricians, crane operator, fork lift operator, accountant/auditor ….

Norwegian language courses Free online Norwegian courses: Class courses: Municipality «kommune» Others (examples): all over Norway Online courses (examples): NB: The classes are not free of charge for EU/EEA citizens, and are quite expensive (eg euros for fulltime 5 months course) «easy-to-read newspaper», in Norwegian

Employment Issues “Working environment act” Employers are required to give you a written employment contract with: –Starting date –Working hours (37,5 – 40 hours per week) –Wages, paid when and how often (pr month) –Trial period (testing period, maximum 6 months) –Period of notice (2 weeks-3 months) –Holidays in Norway (25 days) Norwegian Labour Inspection Authoritywww.arbeidstilsynet.no Culture for trade unions

Salaries / Taxes Average gross salary pr month (for last quarter 2014) was NOK (approx €) Salary information: Trade Unions List on: Employer deducts taxes from your monthly pay, between 30-38%. Salaries are decided according to collective wages agreements between the employers organizations and the trade unions. Minimum salaries only in: construction sector, agriculture, cleaning, maritime construction industry, electricity, road transport (goods and passengers) and fish processing. Norwegian Labour Inspection Authority for more details on wages and working conditions:

Housing

House Costs Average rental cost in Norway per month (2015): 1 bedroom apartment approx. NOK 6290 (670 €) 2 bedrooms apartment approx. NOK 7480 (800 €) 3 bedrooms apartment approx. NOK 8860 (945 €) Oslo and other big cities (Bergen, Trondheim…) = the most expensive. Big variations within the cities Housing costs = 40-50% of income Most Norwegians own their own house. About 90% of couples living together own their own house/apartment. Most used for rental search: and

Is Norway expensive? Most Norwegian families are two-income economies Clothing and food prices average for Europe Income tax is also average for Europe Housing is expensive (approximately 40-50% of your income) Luxury items are expensive (hotels, alcohol, cigarettes, etc.) VAT (sales tax) on some items higher than in many countries…. Cars are very expensive. Petrol is also expensive, despite the fact that Norway is an oil producing country. The prices will vary from day to day. On average it costs about 2 euro per liter. It is expensive to visit Norway as a tourist.

Climate and You

FRIDAY after work…

Thank you for your attention! Questions? Carolien Vandersmissen Senior Adviser NAV EURES Finmark