Today in Norway: A roundup of the latest news on Wednesday
Inflation in Norway at more manageable levels, construction talks go to mediation, and other news from Norway on Wednesday.
Inflation measured at 3.9 percent
Norway’s consumer price index, a measure of inflation, was 3.9 percent between March 2023 and last month, the latest figures from national data agency Statistics Norway show.
“Price growth slowed for the third consecutive month in March. Since the turn of the year, prices have increased significantly less than at the same time last year,” Espen Kristiansen from Statistics Norway said.
With the exception of September 2023, the twelve-month inflation figures have not been below 4 percent since the start of 2022.
A drop in fuel and energy prices contributed to the inflation figures for March. Food prices also fell, but are still 6.1 percent higher than a year ago.
“It is common for food prices to fall in connection with Easter. Offers on several classic Easter products such as chocolate, coffee, oranges and lamb contributed to the fact that food prices overall fell in March,” Kristiansen said.
Construction talks go to mediation, and a risk of a strike is possible
Wage talks for the construction industry have gone to mediation over time, and there is a risk that 16,700 workers will go out on strike.
“There is a lot to work on here, both in terms of finances and a number of other specific questions. But we are well underway, and the parties have worked well,” mediator Carl Petter Martinsen told the Norwegian newswire NTB.
The construction talks come after the “front line” industry sector reached an agreement on Sunday. The sector, which acts as a benchmark, agreed on wage rises of up to 5.2 percent.
The number of Ukrainian refugees arriving in Norway has dropped off
The number of Ukrainian refugees arriving in Norway has slowed since the new year, according to figures from the Norwegian Directorate of Immigration.
In total, 1,658 Ukrainians applied for collective protection in Norway in January compared to just under 1,350 for both February and March.
During the autumn, around 4,500 Ukrainians a month were arriving in Norway.
Towards the end of last year, the Norwegian government cut a number of benefits for Ukrainian refugees in Norway.
“We stand up and take our share of the responsibility. At the same time, the arrivals must be sustainable over time. That is why the government has taken several measures to ensure that fewer people come to Norway,” Kjetil Vevle, state secretary in the Ministry of Labour and Social Inclusion, told NTB.
Populist Progress Party overtakes the Labour Party in the latest polls
Norway’s populist and anti-immigration Progress Party has overtaken the centre-left Labour Party in the polls.
In the Norstat poll, the Labour Party fell by 1.1 percentage points while the Progress Party had an increase of 2.4 percentage points.
If an election were to be held in Norway today, the Conservative Party would receive 25.5 percent of the vote, the Progress Party would receive 17.6 percent of the vote, and the Labour Party would receive 17.1 percent of the vote.
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Inflation measured at 3.9 percent
Norway’s consumer price index, a measure of inflation, was 3.9 percent between March 2023 and last month, the latest figures from national data agency Statistics Norway show.
“Price growth slowed for the third consecutive month in March. Since the turn of the year, prices have increased significantly less than at the same time last year,” Espen Kristiansen from Statistics Norway said.
With the exception of September 2023, the twelve-month inflation figures have not been below 4 percent since the start of 2022.
A drop in fuel and energy prices contributed to the inflation figures for March. Food prices also fell, but are still 6.1 percent higher than a year ago.
“It is common for food prices to fall in connection with Easter. Offers on several classic Easter products such as chocolate, coffee, oranges and lamb contributed to the fact that food prices overall fell in March,” Kristiansen said.
Construction talks go to mediation, and a risk of a strike is possible
Wage talks for the construction industry have gone to mediation over time, and there is a risk that 16,700 workers will go out on strike.
“There is a lot to work on here, both in terms of finances and a number of other specific questions. But we are well underway, and the parties have worked well,” mediator Carl Petter Martinsen told the Norwegian newswire NTB.
The construction talks come after the “front line” industry sector reached an agreement on Sunday. The sector, which acts as a benchmark, agreed on wage rises of up to 5.2 percent.
The number of Ukrainian refugees arriving in Norway has dropped off
The number of Ukrainian refugees arriving in Norway has slowed since the new year, according to figures from the Norwegian Directorate of Immigration.
In total, 1,658 Ukrainians applied for collective protection in Norway in January compared to just under 1,350 for both February and March.
During the autumn, around 4,500 Ukrainians a month were arriving in Norway.
Towards the end of last year, the Norwegian government cut a number of benefits for Ukrainian refugees in Norway.
“We stand up and take our share of the responsibility. At the same time, the arrivals must be sustainable over time. That is why the government has taken several measures to ensure that fewer people come to Norway,” Kjetil Vevle, state secretary in the Ministry of Labour and Social Inclusion, told NTB.
Populist Progress Party overtakes the Labour Party in the latest polls
Norway’s populist and anti-immigration Progress Party has overtaken the centre-left Labour Party in the polls.
In the Norstat poll, the Labour Party fell by 1.1 percentage points while the Progress Party had an increase of 2.4 percentage points.
If an election were to be held in Norway today, the Conservative Party would receive 25.5 percent of the vote, the Progress Party would receive 17.6 percent of the vote, and the Labour Party would receive 17.1 percent of the vote.
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