A report on Bloomberg reveals that European workers are flocking to Norway in search of high-paying jobs and fewer work hours.
According to the report, a recent Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) survey which revealed that workers in Norway work the third fewest hours out of the organisation’s 34 member countries – 20 hours less than the average OECD nation – is turning the heads of workers from across Europe.
Norwegian government figures suggest that 84 per cent of companies are experiencing a shortage of skilled engineers, while the country’s unemployment rate is below 4 per cent, compared to 12.1 per cent in the Euro area. Add to this the fact that Norway is Europe’s second-richest nation per-capita, behind Luxembourg, and that the average annual salary is approximately 60,000 euros, and the country’s appeal only increases.
The latest Norwegian Directorate of Immigration Statistics show that labour migration from the European Union rose by more than 10 per cent in the first half of the year, with over 21,000 EU-citizens arriving to work in the country. While Norway itself is not part of the EU, as a member of the European Economic Area it is still easily accessible to residents of the EU who want to live and work in the country.
What’s more, some 1,504 permits were awarded to skilled workers from outside the EEA between January and May this year, with the majority arriving from India.