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Today in Norway: A roundup of the latest news on Wednesday

Frazer Norwell
Frazer Norwell - [email protected]
Today in Norway: A roundup of the latest news on Wednesday
Find out what's going on in Norway on Wednesday with The Local's short roundup of important news. Pictured is an aerial view of the Norwegian mountains in winter time. Photo by Gunnar Ridderström on Unsplash

Unemployment in Norway is expected to rise, and security experts warn a crisis could arrive at any time. This and other news from Norway on Wednesday. 

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NAV expects unemployment to rise 

The Norwegian Labour and Welfare Administration (NAV) believes that unemployment in Norway will rise to above two percent by next year. 

“The fact that costs are increasing is and will continue to be noticeable to both companies and most people. We, therefore, expect that the demand for labour will decrease somewhat and that unemployment will continue to increase somewhat,” Director of Employment and Welfare Hans Christian Holte said of NAV’s projection. 

The forecast comes after two years characterised by labour shortages and record-low unemployment. NAV still expects unemployment to remain relatively low despite rising in the coming months. 

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“We, therefore, expect that the Norwegian economy and the labour market will recover well through the encounter with high inflation and increased interest rates,” Holte said. 

Security director: Crisis could arrive at any time 

The National Security Authority (NSM) has said that a crisis could arise at any time ahead of a security conference in Oslo this week. 

“The past year has been unpredictable, unreal - and it has shown that the unthinkable can actually happen,” Sofie Nystrøm, director of the NSM, said ahead of the conference. 

“There is a time difference. We cannot plan for an event, we must plan for a worst-case scenario. The crisis could hit tomorrow. Foreign actors invest and buy into Norwegian businesses and property in order to obtain sensitive information and acquire strategically important technology,” she said. 

Half of doctors working at hospital are considering resigning 

After a new health platform was introduced at St Olav’s hospital, a new survey has found that half of the doctors at the hospital are considering quitting their jobs. 

“Employees have an experience that neither the solution nor everyday life has gotten any better,” Tobias Iveland, a representative for the Junior Doctors Association, told the newspaper Adresseavisen.

Some 725, or just under half the doctors, responded to the survey, which found that one in ten was actively looking for a new job. 

Issues with reporting problems with the new health solution are believed to be a key cause for frustration, according to the report on the survey results. 

Norway is working towards a ban on unmanned self-guided weapons 

The Norwegian government wants international rules for unmanned weapons, and the foreign minister has said that the government is working towards a targeted ban. 

“The development of autonomous, fully or partially self-guided weapons presents us with deep dilemmas,” Minister of Foreign Affairs Anniken Huitfeldt said in their foreign policy report to Norway’s parliament. 

The regulations would target weapons that are controlled by artificial intelligence. 

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