Transcript Living and Working in Norway
Living and working in Norway
Norway - up north
• Length 1750 km • 432 km at the widest • 6 km at the narrowest • Long coastline • 7th largest country in Europe • 16 persons per km 2
•Population 5 mill •Immigrants 500.000
•Capital Oslo •612.000 inhabitants •19 counties •Biggest cities: •Bergen 250.000
•Trondheim 170.000
•Stavanger 121.000
Geography
Norway
• Currency: Norwegian kroner - NOK • Constitutional monarchy King Harald V and Queen Sonja
Characteristics
• - 30° to + 30°C • Bright summer – dark winter • Nature variety • Outdoor activites • Hight standard of living • Extensive welfare system • Safe working conditions
Language
• Norwegian or a scandinavian language • Norwegian courses in most towns • You have to pay for the language course • Two official forms. - Standard Norwegian and new Norwegian • Close to Swedish and Danish • Norwegians speak English well • Many regional dialects
Cultur
• Flat structure in the workplace • Conformity/Equality/No special treatment • Enjoying space, keeping distance, privacy • Cold lunch • ”Dugnad” – working for free • Dress code • Importance of nature
Nav EURes
• • • www.eures.europa.eu/ - felles europeisk database www.nav.no
- jobb i utlandet og i Norge www.eures.no
– informasjon om å jobbe og bo i utlandet
The Labour market in Norway
• Current situation - 2,7 % unemployment - current supply of vacant positions pr.day approx. 1000 • Sector with highest unempolyment - Building and construction (3,7%) - Industry (3,6 %) • Sectors with lowest unemployment - Education ( 1,1%) - Engineering and IT (1,2%)
Labour Market – shortages/demand
• Engineers mainly oil & gas • IT specialists (with experience) • Mechanical Industry (skilled workers) • Health sector ( doctors, dentists and specialised nurses) • Hotel and tourism (sesonal chefs and waiters) • Preschool teachers • Construction sector (highly skilled workers only) • Transport (bus drivers and long-distance) • Agricultural workers (skilled)
Hotel and restaurant
• A need for chefs and cooks • Waiters, headwaiters and barkeepers • Biggest need in and around Oslo • Mountain and fjord areas also • Particularly during summer season • Good language skills required
Working conditions
• Written contract is mandatory • 6 months probational period • Periode of notice – 3 months 2 weeks during probational period • Salary paid one a month • Employer draw tax from your monthly pay • 37,5 working hours per week • Shift workers can have 35,5 hours working week • Maximum 40 hours per week • Membership in a trade union can be useful…
Working conditions
• Holiday leave is 25 working days per year • Holiday pay normally paid out in the month of June • Holiday pay 12% of gross pay for trade union members • 10,2% for non trade union members • Holiday pay is accumulated • Labour Inspection Authority: www.arbeidstilsynet.no
Recidence/registration
• Norway is an EEA (not EU) member • EU/EEA citizen have the right to work in Norway from the first day of arrival • Job holders must register with UDI (Directorate of Immigration): - register online or the nearest police station or Service Centre for Foreign workers (Oslo, Stavanger, Tromsø) • Job seekers self-register only when staying longer than 3 months • You will also need a National Identification number - Tax office/population register – www.skateetaten.no
Taxes
• Working in Norway for a Norwegian employer, you pay income tax and national insurance contribution in Norway • Average income tax is 28% • National insurance contribution 7,8% • Deductions!
EU citizens are entitled to a deduction called ”standardfradrag” in the two first years (10% or max NOK 40.000 per year) • House morgage, loans/debts increae your deductions • Tax return submitted every year in April
Is Norway expensive?
• Most Norwegians families have two incomes • Income tax is average for Europe • Housing is expensive (approx 35-45% of income) • Food (except meat) and clothes are not so expensive • Alcohol and cigarettes are very expensive • Eating out in a restaurant is also expensive • One beer will cost about 8 Euro and a glass of wine about 10 Euro in a pub/restaurant. One coffee about 3,5 Euro
Jobbseeking
• Make a Curriculum Vitae (CV) in English • Europass v increasingly common • Application letter maximum 1 page • Use www.gulesider.no
and company web sites • On-line CV registration very common • Contact employers directly • Use your personal network • Social media!
Jobbseeking – The CV
Personalia (name, address etc.) Education Work experience Courses Language skills Interests References (former employer + phone numbers) Photo (not required) 1-2 pages maximum
Useful websites
• • • Job related www.nav.no
(Labour and Welfare organisation) www.nav.no/eures (Nav Eures Norway) www.eures.europa.eu
• • Study in Norway www.studyinnorway.no
www.nokut.no
(Recognition of higher education)
Useful web sites
• • • New in Norway www.norway.no
(Gateway to public sector) www.visitnorway.no
www.nyinorge.no
(Travel) (New in Norway) • • • • Official pages www.skatteetaten.no
(Tax card and personal number) www.toll.no
www.udi.no
( Customs) ( Work and residence permits, registration) www.mattilsynet.no
(Import of animals and plants)