NordenBladet – Norway’s financial authority (Finanstilsynet) is worried about new figures showing how Norwegians’ household debt remains high and keeps rising. The most vulnerable are both young first-time home buyers with large mortgages and senior citizens who’ve borrowed against their equity.
The annual figures released by the regulators now show total debt as a portion of gross annual income at 342 percent. That’s 8 percentage points higher than in 2018, while there’s also been a sharp increase in household debt that’s more than four times household income. Relatively new regulations hold banks to a maximum of five times, and regulators worry there are far too many bumping right up against that.
High housing prices and a strong desire for home ownership in Norway have fueled the rising debt levels. Even though the government tightened lending requirements by demanding downpayments of at least 15 percent on purchase of a home (capping mortgages at 85 percent), total debt is rising and that’s not healthy, experts claim.
‘Alarming’
“The rise in debt exposure for first-time buyers is alarming,” Ola H Grytten, a professor at Norway’s prestigious business school NHH (Norges Handelshøyskole) in Bergen, told newspaper Dagens Næringsliv (DN). He noted that it’s rising three times faster than purchasing power, “and that can’t last.”
Concerns are also rising over how debt continues to rise among Norwegians over age 65, most of whom are retired and on relatively fixed incomes. While there’s been a rise in those taking out “senior-” or home-equity loans to supplement income for travel or other recreational pursuits, Thea B Kloster of Finanstilsynet ties much of the seniors’ rising debt level to parents and grandparents helping the family’s younger generation buy a home instead of renting.
The greatest concerns, however, are swirling over the young borrowers who can get hit by interest rate increases and who don’t usually have much financial reserves in the form of savings. Very few Norwegians opt for higher fixed-rate loans in Norway. Those under age 25 have an overall debt-equity ration of 387 percent, according to the new report.
Big mortgages too common
Grytten worries that it’s become too common to take up large, multi-million kroner mortgages. “There’s a danger that borrowing up to the maximum is becoming the norm,” Grytten said.
Norway is now tied with the Netherlands in having the highest household debt among the OECD countries, exceeded only by Denmark, where more buyers opt for fixed-rate loans and aren’t as exposed to interest rate hikes.
“We’re a nation of gamblers who haven’t locked in our interest rates,” editorialized newspaper Dagsavisen. “We’re optimists, or else bloody naive.”
Featured image: Norwegians’ desire to own their own homes means that especially first-time buyers get off to a rocky start with high household debt levels. Seniors also have a rising degree of debt. (Pexels)
NordenBladet – The airline Norwegian is selliing its Argentine subsidiary to JetSMART, according to a press release from the company. “This is an important step in order to be profitable again, writes acting CEO and CFO Geir Karlsen of Norwegian.
Norwegian Air Argentina has flown domestic routes in Argentina for two years. The plan is to phase out Norwegian Air Argentina’s three aircraft over the next few months. The aircraft will then be returned to Norway’s European network.
“It has proved difficult to achieve satisfactory profitability for the subsidiary in Argentina, given the general situation in the country,” writes Karlsen.
Part of the reason is that the majority of the company’s costs are in dollars, but the revenue is in pesos.
“The sharp weakening of the peso against the dollar has created a significant gap between costs and revenue,” writes Karlsen.
NordenBladet – Europe will achieve only a small proportion of its environmental targets for 2020, the EU’s European Environment Agency (EEA) states. In a new report, the EEA reviews the status of targets set by EU member states and other countries covered by the Agency’s work, including Norway.
Of the 35 environmental targets for 2020, only six are achieved. In addition, nine goals are likely to be partially achieved.
“We still do not take the necessary steps to reduce greenhouse gases, preserve nature and develop an economy that is within nature’s resilience. We will go through the report thoroughly and see how Norway is doing well and where we need to sharpen the measures,” says Climate and Environment Minister Ola Elvestuen (Venstre) in a statement.
A major challenge in Norway is the climate emissions, and the Norwegian emission target for 2020 will most likely not be reached.
Endangered species
The EEA report provides a snapshot of the state of the environment in Europe and measures progress towards the established environmental goals.
Some of the conclusions are that species diversity is declining rapidly, that there is over-consumption of natural resources and that the consequences of climate change are greater.
By 2030, it is currently anticipated that even fewer environmental goals will be achieved. The EEA warns that European countries are not on track to achieve their greenhouse gas emissions targets for the next decade.
“It is disappointing to see that there has been no improvement since the last report in 2015, so we have to get up to speed to reverse the bleak outlook towards 2030,” says Director Ellen Hambro of the Environment Agency (Miljødirektoratet).
Greater attention
The goals for 2020 that are likely to be achieved include, for example, protected land and sea areas, the efficiency of resource use and renewable energy.
In areas such as species diversity, air pollution and overall climate emissions, the development is less encouraging.
The European food, transport and energy systems require major restructuring, according to the Environment Agency, which calls the EEA report the most comprehensive environmental assessment ever conducted in Europe.
However, EEA chief Hans Bruyninckx welcomes the fact that climate and the environment are receiving greater attention from ordinary Europeans and EU leaders.
Bruyninckx told DPA News Agency that the new European Commission’s leader Ursula von der Leyen has put climate change higher on the agenda than ever before.
NordenBladet – This year’s Peace Prize* winner will not meet the press in Oslo. “The traditional press conference with the Nobel Prize winner has been removed from the program this year. With few exceptions, this has not happened since the early 1990s, when press conferences became a permanent entry on the Nobel program,” says Nobel director Olav Njølstad to NTB.
According to Njølstad, the press conference will not happen because Ahmed arrives late in the afternoon of December 9, the day before the Nobel ceremony itself. But the Peace Prize winner has also said no to interviews with NRK, the BBC and Al Jazeera.
“Whatever reasons lie behind this, you will have to ask his press spokesperson,” says the Nobel director.
A large international press turnout is usually present at the awards ceremony. This year, two journalists from Ethiopia are currently accredited. In addition, Ethiopians in exile may have applied for accreditation from news media in other countries, according to Njølstad
Abiy Ahmed received the Peace Prize because in his first half as prime minister he managed to make peace with neighboring Eritrea after decades of conflict and accelerated democratization in Ethiopia.
But since then, nothing has happened, according to professor and Ethiopia expert Kjetil Tronvoll. “He doesn’t have much to brag about after his first six months,” he says.
During the past six months, the Eritrea process has stalled, while unrest in Ethiopia has risen to new heights. “There are great tensions in Ethiopia, as great as it has hardly ever been,” says Tronvoll. “By not meeting the press, Ahmed avoids having to answer difficult questions about the peace process, about the unrest in Ethiopia and what the growing fragmentation in Ahmed’s own party could entail,” he points out.
“The most important thing is that ordinary Ethiopians now feel an increasing degree of insecurity and uncertainty. They do not trust that the state is strong enough to secure them,” says Tronvoll.
In late October, just weeks after the Abiy Ahmed Peace Prize was announced, about 70 people were killed in turmoil in the capital, Addis Ababa and the Oromia region. Ahmed himself is from the Oromo people group, Ethiopia’s largest, and it was these who brought him to power in 2018.
But now well-known Oromo activists have turned to Ahmed, who will resolve the tensions in the country by lifting ethnic divides and establishing a new national identity.
“Ethiopia is deeply divided between those who want unity and those who want ethnic autonomy. Many believe that Abiy now cuts off the branch he is sitting on. His power base is weathering with every passing day,” says Tronvoll.
In November, however, the prime minister managed to unite three of four ethnic-based parties in Ethiopia’s ruling coalition EPRDF into a new party with the belligerent name Prosperity Party.
But so far, the Tigray party TPLF, which ruled Ethiopia for 27 years, has given a thumbs down.
Elections will be held in Ethiopia, next May.
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* The Nobel Peace Prize is one of the five Nobel Prizes established by the will of Swedish industrialist, inventor, and armaments manufacturer Alfred Nobel, along with the prizes in Chemistry, Physics, Physiology or Medicine, and Literature. Since March 1901, it has been awarded annually (with some exceptions) to those who have “done the most or the best work for fraternity between nations, for the abolition or reduction of standing armies and for the holding and promotion of peace congresses”.
Per Alfred Nobel’s will, the recipient is selected by the Norwegian Nobel Committee, a five-member committee appointed by the Parliament of Norway. Since 1990, the prize is awarded on 10 December in Oslo City Hall each year. The prize was formerly awarded in the Atrium of the University of Oslo Faculty of Law (1947–1989), the Norwegian Nobel Institute (1905–1946), and the Parliament (1901–1904).
Due to its political nature, the Nobel Peace Prize has, for most of its history, been the subject of numerous controversies.
NordenBladet – Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway has spoken about her links to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein*, according to reports. Norwegian newspaper Dagens Næringsliv reports that the royal, 46, admits she met Epstein on several occasions between 2011 and 2013, after the American financier was first convicted in 2008.
In a statement to DN, Mette-Marit said: “I would never have had anything to do with Epstein if I had been aware of the seriousness of his criminal acts. I should have investigated Epstein’s past and regret that I did not.”
The communications manager at the royal court told the newspaper: “The crown princess chose to end contact with Epstein in 2013, partly because she experienced that Epstein was trying to use the connection he had had with the crown princess to influence other people.”
Crown Princess Mette-Marit is the wife of Crown Prince Haakon, the heir apparent to the throne of Norway.
It comes after the Duke of York spoke about his connections with Epstein during a BBC Newsnight interview last month. Prince Andrew, 59, has since stepped down from royal duties for the “foreseeable future.”
Prince Andrew’s accuser Virginia Giuffre, formerly known as Virginia Roberts, gave an interview to BBC Panorama on Monday night, in which she spoke about her alleged meetings with the royal, including at Tramp nightclub in London in 2001 and a photograph of them together.
Buckingham Palace have responded, denying Virginia’s claims. A statement released on Monday evening read: “It is emphatically denied that The Duke of York had any form of sexual contact or relationship with Virginia Roberts. Any claim to the contrary is false and without foundation.”
The palace also spoke out about the Duke of York’s association with Jeffrey Epstein, stating: “The Duke of York unequivocally regrets his ill-judged association with Jeffrey Epstein. Epstein’s suicide left many unanswered questions, particularly for his victims. The Duke deeply sympathises with those affected who want some form of closure. It is his hope that, in time, they will be able to rebuild their lives. The Duke is willing to help any appropriate law enforcement agency with their investigations, if required. The Duke has already stated that he did not see, witness or suspect any behaviour of the sort that subsequently led to Jeffrey Epstein’s arrest and conviction. He deplores the exploitation of any human being and would not condone, participate in, or encourage any such behaviour.”
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* Jeffrey Edward Epstein (January 20, 1953 – August 10, 2019) was an American financier and convicted sex offender. Epstein began his professional life as a teacher but then switched to the banking and finance sector in various roles, working at Bear Stearns before forming his own firm. He developed an elite social circle and procured many women, including underage girls, who were then sexually abused by Epstein and some of his contacts.
In 2005, police in Palm Beach, Florida, began investigating Epstein after a parent complained that he had sexually abused her 14-year-old daughter. Epstein pleaded guilty and was convicted in 2008 by a Florida state court of procuring an underage girl for prostitution and of soliciting a prostitute. He served almost 13 months in custody, but with extensive work release. He was convicted of only these two crimes as part of a plea deal; federal officials had in fact identified 36 girls, some as young as 14 years old, whom Epstein had sexually abused.
Epstein was arrested again on July 6, 2019 on federal charges for the sex trafficking of minors in Florida and New York. He died in his jail cell on August 10, 2019. The medical examiner ruled the death a suicide, although Epstein’s lawyers have disputed the ruling. Because his death eliminates the possibility of pursuing criminal charges, a judge dismissed all criminal charges on August 29, 2019.
Featured image: Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway (NordenBladet)
NordenBladet – Yesterday evening, on Tuesday 29 October 2019 awards were handed out in Sweden in Stockholm’s concert hall (Stockholms konserthus, Hötorget 8) at a festive awards gala held by the Nordic Council. Every year the Nordic Council also announces five prizes: the prize for literature, film, music, environment as well as children’s and youth’s literature. Besides the acknowledgement the winner also receives a monetary prize of 350 000 Danish kroons.
This year’s festive awards gala was opened by welcoming speeches from the Swedish parliament speaker Per Olof Andreas Norlén, the Nordic Council of Ministers’ president Hans Wallmark and the Nordic Council of Ministers’ vice-president Gunilla Carlsson, what even added to the festive atmosphere by giving a fantastic concert was the Västerås Symphonic Orchestra with conductor Cathrine Winnes. The event was hosted by Swedish literary critic and television host Jessika Gedlin.jhjh The other performers at the concert were Emilia Amper (a well-known Swedish folk musician and Key Fiddle player), El Sistema Södertälje children’s orchestra, The Mamas (a female trio with members Loulou LaMotte, Dinah Yonas Manna and Ash Haynes), the cellist Johanna Sjunnesson and the Islandic duo Hugar ( Pétur Jónsson, Bergur Þórisson).
First of all the 2019 prize for children’s and youth’s literature was announced (The Nordic Council Children and Young People´s Literature Prize 2019). The prize and the nominees were introduced by Swedish prime minister Stefan Löfen. The winner was 44-year-old Norwegian writer and illustrator Kristin Roskifte. The prize-winning book was “Alle sammen teller” (“Everybody counts”).
The second announced prize was the Nordic Cuncil’s Music Prize 2019. The prize and the nominees were introduced by Finnish conductor and cellist Susanna Mälkki. The music prize winner was the Islandic instrumentalist Gyða Valtýsdóttir. Valtýsdóttir was so moved about winning the prize that a quiver of hands was visible during the acknowledgement speech. With a softest of voices she said that the person behing her success story was her mother.
The third prize to be announced was the Nordic Council Environment Prize 2019. The prize and the nominees were introduced by the European Youth Parliament member Noura Berrouba. The winner was 16-year old Swedish climate activist and founder of the movement “Fridays for Future” Greta Thunberg. The audience applauded to Thunberg already when the nominees were announced. Thunberg helself however was not attending the event since at that time she was in California. On behalf of her the fellow activists got the floor and read out loud Thunberg’s letter that included a thank you as well as the message that she will decline the prize. “I want to thank the Nordic Council for this award. It’s a great honour. But the climate movement needs no more prizes. What we need is for those in power and politicians to listen to research,” she announced. The Nordic Council’s president Hans Wallmark stated on the Norden.org page that he honours the decision that Greta Thunberg has made and that is is being decided what will be done with the prize sums (read more about Greta Thunberg prize and declining the prize sums HERE).
Fourth, the Nordic Council Film Prize 2019 was announced. The nominees were introduced and the prize was handed out by Norwegian actress Lena Cecilia Sparrok. The prize went to Danish drama film “Queen of Hearts” (original title: Dronningen). Film director and screenwriter May el-Toukhy, screenwriter Maren Louise Käehne, film producers Caroline Blanco and Rene Ezra.
The fifth prize, the Nordic Council Literature Prize 2019 was introduced and announced by Swedish poet and writer Johannes Anyuru. The prize went once more to Denmark. The winner of the prize was 28-year old Jonas Eika Rasmussen with his novel “Efter Solen”. However, Jonas Eika brought quite some anxiety to the concert hall. While holding his acknowledgement speech he took advantage of the situation to blame the current government. In the two-page speech that he had prepared, he blamed the Danish prime minister Mette Frederiksen who at the time was seated just a few meters away in the hall, he spoke of capitalism, racism, and need for radical changes in the Nordic countries.
A fine ending to the prize gala 2019 of the Council of Ministers (19:30 – 21.00) was made by “Ain´t No Mountain High Enough” by The Mamas and Västerås´i Symphony Orchestra.
See more: a brief society gallery from the gala guests (a.k.a. five minutes before the concert in the hallway and the hall) is soon available at NordenBladet entertainment pages Ohmygossip.
Photography and text: NordenBladet / Helena-Reet Ennet
NordenBladet – Ole Gunnar Solskjær completely smashes other Norwegian sports names in the media talk in Norway so far this year. Petter Northug is doing well despite his resignation. Manchester United manager Solskjær is close to 19,000 media releases so far in 2019. Closest to him are cross-country skiers Johannes Høsflot Klæbo and Therese Johaug.
Northug has not been active in cross country for almost a year, but still comes in 13th place. Chess master Magnus Carlsen is number seven and holds a strong position.
Media monitor Retriever has prepared the overview for NTB, and the number of reviews has been updated up to the end of last week.
Eight of the ten most talked about are men. A similar list was recently published in Sweden. There, cross-country skier Charlotte Kalla topped, and with her were five other women in the top-10 rankings over Swedish sports profiles.
“In Norway, women and men must fight against the global name Solskjær. So, a female first place is currently out of reach here at home. That being said, I think it’s nice to see that one of our biggest female cross-country stars gets at least as much publicity as the males,” says head of analysis in Retriever, Guro Lindebjerg, to NTB.
NordenBladet – North Norway’s polar night* is about to begin. In late November, the sun will set in Tromsø and won’t be seen again until January. Other parts of North Norway above the Arctic Circle will see similar months of the annual polar night. In Longyearbyen on Svalbard, the polar night lasts from the last week of October until mid-February.
The people of Northern Norway have lived with the dark months for the past 10,000 years or so. They go to work and to school as usual, and the range of leisure activities available in the evenings is broad and varied. Cafés, restaurants and nightspots fill up night after night with talkative, good-humoured people, and many entertaining festivals are held during this period. Outdoor activities are far from impossible. There are illuminated ski runs in even small resorts in Northern Norway, and some operators organise dog-sledding and scooter trips where participants wear head-lights.
Here are all the facts you need to know about the ‘dark time’ above the Arctic Circle in Norway:
The polar night — defined as the period in which the sun is below the horizon 24 hours a day — occurs both north of the Arctic Circle and south of the Antarctic Circle (at opposite times of the year).
In the northern hemisphere, the polar night occurs due to the northern part of the earth tilts away from the sun during this time.
The Latin name for the Northern Lights, Aurora Borealis, means ‘red sky at morning in the north’.
The Northern Lights occur as a result of particles from the sun hitting the earth’s atmosphere, or changes in the magnetosphere caused by solar wind.
Norwegian folklore says you shouldn’t wave at the Northern Lights. Doing so will cause the lights to come and take you away, so the myth goes.
People who live north of the Arctic Circle often find it harder to sleep during the polar night. This is because melatonin, a hormone which helps regulate circadian rhythms, is stimulated by light.
Darker days mean the body finds it harder to regulate its melatonin levels, which can wreak havoc on sleeping patterns.
Although the olar night is associated with pitch black, it’s not completely dark by definition. In fact, only small areas close to the poles experience complete darkness.
Since ‘night’ is considered to be when the centre of the Sun is below a free horizon, some level of light is often present, particularly when skies are cloudless.
Although many find the long absence of the sun a daunting prospect, others embrace it and even prefer it to its summer opposite, the polar day. Incidentally, the Norwegian term for polar day is fargetid (colour time).
Common questions with answers:
What is the polar night? The polar night is the term for when night lasts for more than 24 hours inside the polar circles. In this case, ‘night’ is defined as when the centre of the Sun is below the horizon. Not all latitudes are situated north enough to experience sustained total darkness; instead their brightest moments are levels of polar twilight that occur in the early afternoon before evening approaches and the darkness intensifies.
What causes the polar night? The polar night is caused by the rotation of the earth in relation to the position of the sun. The earth rotates on a titled axis of around 23.5 degrees. As a result of this axial tilt, there are periods of the year where the Arctic Circle and the Antarctic Circle are either completely exposed or obscured from the sun. When they are obscured it causes the prolonged darkness known as the polar night, while when they are exposed it creates a prolonged period of daylight known as the midnight sun.
How long does the polar night last? The full length of the polar night depends on your latitude. The average duration for most destinations is around 30 days, but more northerly locations can enjoy as almost two months of darkness. If you were situated at one of the poles this would last for around 11 weeks.
Where can I experience the polar night? In Sweden’s most northern city of Kiruna, the polar night lasts for approximately 28 twenty-four-hour periods. In the Norwegian city of Tromsø, the dark hours can last for up to a month a half. If you visit Hammerfest, both the northernmost city in the world and one of the two oldest towns in Norway, the polar night lasts for almost two months.
Can you visit Northern Norway in the dark months?
Absolutely! To visit Northern Norway during the dark months is to meet us Northerners at home. It is a great time for cultural events, festivals, good food, shopping and outdoor activities. Bring your friend or family for a nice long weekend in the far north – it is the perfect setting for spending quality time together by the light of flickering candles. The spawning cod swim in close to the shore, and your taste buds rejoice. Snow scooter trips, dog-sledding and sleigh rides are organised in many places in Northern Norway and on Svalbard, and this is a great time of year to see the Northern Lights.
Here is a list of places that experience dark months. The dates indicate when the sun is below the horizon. In practice, however, the periods are often longer because mountains block the view to the south.
Svolvær: 7 December–5 January
Harstad: 2 December–10 January
Bardufoss: 30 November–12 January
Andenes: 29 November–13 January
Tromsø: 27 November–15 January
Alta: 25 November–17 January
Vardø: 23 November–19 January
Hammerfest: 22 November–20 January
Berlevåg: 21 November–21 January
North Cape: 20 November–22 January
Longyearbyen: 26 October–16 February
The North Pole: 25 September–18 March
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* The polar night occurs in the northernmost and southernmost regions of the Earth when the night lasts for more than 24 hours. This occurs only inside the polar circles. The opposite phenomenon, the polar day, or midnight sun, occurs when the Sun stays above the horizon for more than 24 hours.
The polar shortest day is not totally dark everywhere inside the polar circle, but only in places within about 5.5° of the poles, and only when the moon is well below the horizon. Regions located at the inner border of the polar circles experience polar twilight instead of polar night. In fact, polar regions typically get more twilight throughout the year than equatorial regions.
For regions inside the polar circles, the maximum lengths of the time that the Sun is completely below the horizon varies from zero a few degrees beyond the Arctic Circle and Antarctic Circle to 179 days at the Poles. However, not all this time is classified as polar night since sunlight may be visible because of refraction. The time when any part of the Sun is above the horizon at the poles is 186 days. The preceding numbers are average numbers: the ellipticity of the Earth’s orbit makes the South Pole receive a week more of Sun-below-horizon than the North Pole.
NordenBladet – Their performance is a bit weaker than that of other children in elementary school, and somewhat fewer students complete upper secondary school. Compared to their parents, the difference is considerable. Many Norwegian-born persons with immigrant backgrounds are also doing far better financially than their parents. Some earn more than other Norwegians.
Children born in Norway to two immigrant parents constitute 3.4 per cent of the Norwegian population today. In 1970, that figure was only 0.06 per cent.
Statistics Norway has released an updated report for which they gathered figures, facts and research on this new population group.
Have the children of immigrants integrated into Norwegian society? Or do they remain outsiders?
Almost 180 000 immigrant children In 2019, almost 180 000 people in Norway are the children of two immigrant parents.
Most of them are still children and adolescents. Only 14 per cent are older than 25, but this group has now become so large that statistics and research can tell us a great deal about how the integration of immigrants into Norwegian society is going.
Children of two immigrants in Norway who are 25 or older often have parents with backgrounds from Pakistan, Vietnam, Turkey, India, Morocco or Chile.
The children of other large immigrant groups in Norway – Poles, Somalis, Lithuanians, Iraqis and Afghans – are still mostly younger.
School results Children of immigrants do somewhat worse than children of Norwegian-born parents in primary school. Slightly fewer complete upper secondary education, according to education statistics.
However, the leap in education is still huge for many immigrant children, when compared with their parents’ education. Children with parents from Sri Lanka and Vietnam achieve the top school results, despite the fact that many of these parents have had very little education themselves.
Many choose college prep Fully 76 per cent of children with two immigrant parents who start upper secondary school choose college preparatory programmes. Among other teens, 64 per cent select that route.
Almost half of the immigrant children in the 25 to 40 year age group now have attained higher education, which is roughly equivalent to the rest of the population.
Among immigrant parents who only have a primary school education, 35 per cent of their children continue their education to university or college level. For the rest of the Norwegian population, the corresponding proportion is only 19 per cent.
Norwegian social scientists who have studied this topic refer to these immigrants and their children as having educational drive.
Children of immigrants from China, Sri Lanka, Vietnam and India are especially likely to pursue university or other higher education. Many immigrant children choose majors in economics and administration. Social sciences, law, trades and technical subjects are also common. Teaching careers are about as common for this group as for the rest of the population.
Vietnamese earn well
Statistics Norway’s figures show notable differences in how many children of immigrants from different countries are found in the Norwegian labour market. Statistics Norway considers a person part of the labour force if her or his annual income approaches NOK 200 000 or more.
More Norwegian-born men and women between the ages of 25 and 40 with immigrant parents from Vietnam and India are employed than their Norwegian age peers without an immigrant background.
Today, 25 to 40 year old ethnic Vietnamese individuals born in Norway have a higher income on average than their age peers in the rest of the Norwegian population.
Many children of two immigrant parents have experience what social scientists call a class shift, or social mobility.
Chilean men earn the least Adults in the same age group with parents from Turkey, Pakistan, Chile and Morocco have fewer people in the work force than their age peers in the non-immigrant population.
Women with Turkish backgrounds are the least linked to Norwegian working life.
In terms of income, Norwegian-born men with backgrounds from Vietnam, India and Pakistan often earn well, and many run their own businesses.
Norwegian-born men with Turkish or Moroccan backgrounds earn significantly less. The lowest wage earners are men with Chilean backgrounds.
Among Norwegian-born women, those with immigrant backgrounds from India and Vietnam earn the most, while women with backgrounds from Turkey and Chile earn the least.
Do both men and women work? The available data is yielding steadily more information about marriage and cohabitation among the children of immigrants.
The rule among couples with Norwegian-born parents is that both partners tend to be employed. By contrast, Statistics Norway data shows considerable differences among adult children of immigrants in regards to whether both or just one partner works outside the home.
The lowest percentage of 25 to 40 year old couples with two working partners is found among Norwegian-born individuals with backgrounds from Turkey (53 per cent) and Pakistan (59 per cent). The highest percentage is among couples with backgrounds from India (86 per cent) and Vietnam (83 per cent).
NordenBladet – The 2011 terror attacks in Oslo and the nearby island of Utøya that killed 77 people are to become part of the curriculum in Norway’s schools in future.
Children and teenagers should learn about the acts of terrorism, Norwegian newspaper Verdens Gang reported, following an anniversary event of the terrorist attacks on Sunday.
In 2011, Norwegian right-wing extremist Anders Behring Breivik killed 77 people in gun and bomb attacks in Oslo and at a Labour Party youth camp on Utoya.
It is not only important to understand the attacks but to put the attacks into a bigger context, said Education Minister, Jan Sanner, according to the newspaper.
Therefore, the material needs to be introduced into schools, the newspaper reported him as saying, without saying when the new material would be added.
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Utøya is an island in the Tyrifjorden lake in Hole municipality, in the county of Buskerud, Norway. The island is 10.6 hectares (26 acres), situated 500 metres (1,600 ft) off the shore, by the E16 road, about 20 km (12 mi) driving distance south of Hønefoss, and 38 km (24 mi) northwest of Oslo city centre.
On 22 July 2011, a mass shooting took place at the AUF’s summer youth camp, where 650 young people were staying. Anders Behring Breivik arrived alone on Utøya dressed as a police officer and told those on the island that he was there for security reasons following the explosions in Oslo which took place a few hours before. He then began shooting at individuals, continuing until the police arrived one hour after the first alarm call. The suspect immediately surrendered. Combined, the attacks in Oslo and Utøya left 77 dead, with 69 killed on the island, 33 of whom were under the age of 18.
