Today in Norway: A roundup of the latest news on Thursday
The latest unemployment figures and electric cars selling faster in rural districts than in the capital are among the headlines from Norway on Thursday.
Unemployment in Norway has increased slightly
Unemployment in Norway has increased from 3.1 percent to 3.3 percent between April and November, the latest figures from Statistics Norway.
The rise comes after a steep drop in unemployment between 2020 and the beginning of 2022.
"After a long period of high temperatures on the labour market, it now appears that we have a weak, upward trend in unemployment," Tonje Køber at Statistics Norway said.
In addition to increasing unemployment, around 1,300 fewer jobs were on the market between September and October.
Government halves tobacco quotas at duty-free
From the beginning of next year, the Norwegian government will slash the tobacco quota at duty-free.
People living in Norway will only be allowed to bring 100 cigarettes, 125 grams of other tobacco products (for example, snuff or rolling tobacco) or 100 grams of other nicotine products and 100 cigarette papers tax-free into Norway.
The number of cigarettes that can be sold to travellers on arrival to Norway will also be changed to reflect this change.
Those who don't live in Norway will be able to buy more tobacco products than Norwegians. Tax-free outlets at airports can currently only sell cigarettes in full cartons. A carton of cigarettes today typically contains 200 cigarettes.
Electric cars selling faster in rural areas
Certain rural areas are seeing electric cars sell faster than in Oslo
"The farming municipality of Austevoll and the cottage municipality of Nesbyen both have higher electric car sales per inhabitant than Oslo," Thor Egil Braadland in the Norwegian Automobile Association (Naf) said in the press release.
Høylandet in Trøndelag, Averøy in Møre and Romsdal and Gloppen in Vestland Averøy, one of Norway's largest farming municipalities, the gas municipality Aukra, the fishing and oil municipality Austrheim and the alpine municipality Hemsedal were all areas were electric cars were selling in high numbers per 1,000 residents.
Christmas forecast
Large parts of the country can expect a white and cold Christmas this year, according to forecasts.
The only areas that won't see a white Christmas are coastal areas on Norway's west coast. The best Christmas weather will be found north of Dovre. Certain areas in Eastern and Southern Norway will see somewhat hard and compacted snow.
Temperatures in Norway will dip between minus five and minus ten in southern areas. Much further north, the weather of minus 25 can be expected.
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Unemployment in Norway has increased slightly
Unemployment in Norway has increased from 3.1 percent to 3.3 percent between April and November, the latest figures from Statistics Norway.
The rise comes after a steep drop in unemployment between 2020 and the beginning of 2022.
"After a long period of high temperatures on the labour market, it now appears that we have a weak, upward trend in unemployment," Tonje Køber at Statistics Norway said.
In addition to increasing unemployment, around 1,300 fewer jobs were on the market between September and October.
Government halves tobacco quotas at duty-free
From the beginning of next year, the Norwegian government will slash the tobacco quota at duty-free.
People living in Norway will only be allowed to bring 100 cigarettes, 125 grams of other tobacco products (for example, snuff or rolling tobacco) or 100 grams of other nicotine products and 100 cigarette papers tax-free into Norway.
The number of cigarettes that can be sold to travellers on arrival to Norway will also be changed to reflect this change.
Those who don't live in Norway will be able to buy more tobacco products than Norwegians. Tax-free outlets at airports can currently only sell cigarettes in full cartons. A carton of cigarettes today typically contains 200 cigarettes.
Electric cars selling faster in rural areas
Certain rural areas are seeing electric cars sell faster than in Oslo
"The farming municipality of Austevoll and the cottage municipality of Nesbyen both have higher electric car sales per inhabitant than Oslo," Thor Egil Braadland in the Norwegian Automobile Association (Naf) said in the press release.
Høylandet in Trøndelag, Averøy in Møre and Romsdal and Gloppen in Vestland Averøy, one of Norway's largest farming municipalities, the gas municipality Aukra, the fishing and oil municipality Austrheim and the alpine municipality Hemsedal were all areas were electric cars were selling in high numbers per 1,000 residents.
Christmas forecast
Large parts of the country can expect a white and cold Christmas this year, according to forecasts.
The only areas that won't see a white Christmas are coastal areas on Norway's west coast. The best Christmas weather will be found north of Dovre. Certain areas in Eastern and Southern Norway will see somewhat hard and compacted snow.
Temperatures in Norway will dip between minus five and minus ten in southern areas. Much further north, the weather of minus 25 can be expected.
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