A new labour policy for the North

Norway is only one of many European countries seeking to attract labour immigrants. What are the country's strengths and weaknesses?

In the white paper on labour immigration there is a telling table, showing the average hourly wage for an industrial worker in Norwegian crowns (1 crown = 0.125 Euro). Norway tops the wage list, followed closely by Denmark, but with a large jump down to Sweden.

Norway 169

Denmark 164

Germany 125

Finland 117

United Kingdom 113

Sweden 111

Compare this to the average Polish hourly wage of just 17 Norwegian crowns.

At the same time the demand for workers has been very high in the construction sector. Compared to other European countries, Norway offers smaller differences in wages between low skilled work and more academic professions.

This makes it more difficult for Norway to attract highly skilled professionals, especially as the cost of living remains high. The presentation of the white paper in Kirkenes also highlights other positive and negative factors. Norway has a low crime rate and offers a good health service and long vacations. The high degree of gender equality, compared to many other countries, is another bonus. On the negative side Norway is often considered to be a peripheral country:

“Even if Norway has a favourable climate considering its geographic location, some foreigners see Norway as a geographical outpost with an inhospitable climate.”