Nav: Unemployment Stable at 2.1% in August, With 30,600 Job Ads

Nav's August figures show a steady labour market. Health and care had the most advertised positions by a wide margin.

On 28 August 2026 Nav, the Norwegian Labour and Welfare Administration, published its August labour market figures under the headline “Stabil arbeidsledighet i august” (stable unemployment in August). Nav reports 62,832 fully unemployed people unadjusted, 2.1 per cent of the labour force, and describes the seasonally adjusted rate as stable compared with July.

Health, care and nursing: 7,100

Retail and sales: 4,100

Service and other work: 2,800

Job ads on arbeidsplassen.no in August 2026, three largest occupation groups. Bar length is scaled to 8,000. Source: Nav, 28 August 2026.

The short version: Many job ads and low unemployment describe the labour market as a whole. They do not mean that an ad is open to someone who needs a work permit, or that foreign qualifications are accepted.

The main figures

Job ads: 30,600 positions advertised on arbeidsplassen.no in August, 1,900 per working day seasonally adjusted, which Nav says is 2 per cent fewer than a year earlier. Nav says demand has increased since the summer and remains high.
Registered job seekers: 94,400 in total, 3.1 per cent of the labour force; 20,100 partially unemployed and 11,400 on labour market measures.
Regions: Oslo (2.8 per cent) and Østfold (2.7 per cent) had the highest unemployment; Troms had the lowest at 1.3 per cent.
Occupations: unemployment was lowest in academic occupations (0.9 per cent) and health, care and nursing (1 per cent), and highest in child and youth work and in travel and transport (2.9 per cent each).

What it means for jobseekers abroad

Nav counts ads on a Norwegian portal; the figures do not say which employers recruit from abroad, and we name none. Health and care is the biggest group of ads, but most health professions are regulated: see our guides on foreign nurses and authorisation and whether your degree needs recognition. For a broader picture of shortage occupations and who can take them, read jobs in demand in Norway. Compare with Nav's later releases for October.

Sources

Stabil arbeidsledighet i august (Nav): published 28 August 2026; read 7 November 2026.

Is Working in Norway a Realistic Option for You?

General information can help you understand Norway's labour market, but it cannot determine whether you personally qualify to work here. Your citizenship, current residence status, education, work experience and professional qualifications can all affect your options.

JobsNorway provides an independent assessment of your potential eligibility, qualifications and realistic employment opportunities in Norway. Every assessment is checked before it is sent, and includes personal advice where relevant. Before investing months in applications or spending money on relocation plans, find out whether Norway is a realistic option for you.

Get My Personal Assessment →

One-time paid assessment. No job placement. No employment guarantees.

General information, not legal advice or an individual assessment. Decisions on permits and authorisations are made by the Norwegian authorities. JobsNorway does not find jobs. More news: all news.