No general minimum wage, but legally binding minimum pay in nine sectors – from cleaning and construction to hotels and restaurants – and a written contract for every job. In 2026 Norwegian businesses were short of about 34,000 workers, above all in health care, industry and construction. Find out where to look, how to register and how tax works in your first weeks.
Norway is a country of 5.6 million people with an employment rate above the EU average: 79.5% of people aged 20–64 have a job (EU: 76.1%).
Unemployment is low but has gone up every year – from 3.2% in 2022 to 4.5% in 2025, still well below the EU average of 6.0%. Youth unemployment (15–24) has risen more, from 10% to 14%, but is still below the EU’s 15.2%.
Norway is not in the EU, but it is part of the EEA. So as an EU/EEA citizen you do not need a work permit – you only register if you stay longer than 3 months. On Nav’s job portal you can filter for vacancies where English is the working language; knowing Norwegian opens many more doors.
Key figures: Eurostat (population on 1 January 2026; unemployment and employment rates 2025; minimum wages July 2026); for the United Kingdom – Office for National Statistics; for Liechtenstein – national statistics. Country information: EURES – Living and working conditions, public employment services and the official government websites listed under each country. Rules, thresholds and amounts can change – check the official sources before you move. Updated: October 2026.
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