Persistent labour shortage in parts of northern Norway

Troms og Finnmark in northern Norway continues to face significant labour shortages, according to the Norwegian Labour and Welfare Administration’s (NAV) latest annual company survey.

Although the situation slightly improved compared to last year, the region still has the tightest labour market in northern Norway.

Kristin Røymo, the Regional Director for NAV in Troms og Finnmark, told the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation (NRK) that many local companies plan to hire more employees in the coming year.

However, recruiting skilled workers remains a significant challenge in the area.

“We see that the labour shortage is lower than last year, but we still have the tightest labour market in northern Norway,” Røymo said.

Norwegian grocery stores cleared of unfair pricing

The Norwegian Competition Authority has cleared grocery stores of unfairly increasing their profit margins over the past years despite the worst food price jump in 35 years recorded in 2022.

This conclusion follows a process launched by the government to investigate the grocery sector’s pricing practices amid rising costs, according to the NRK.

The authorities’ investigation, covering the years 2017 to 2022, scrutinised three different profitability measures but found no evidence of margin exploitation during critical events like the Ukraine war or the pandemic.

Magnus Friis Reitan from the Competition Authority stated that the industry has not used these crises as opportunities to raise prices unfairly.

However, the authority noted that competition within the sector remains poor.

Record seizure of money by Norwegian customs

The Norwegian Customs Authority announced a record-breaking seizure of 4.2 million Swedish krona– one of the largest currency seizures in Norwegian history.

The seizure occurred during the second weekend of April when customs officers stopped a Norwegian-registered vehicle with two occupants at an eastern Norway border crossing.

They found several plastic bags full of Swedish banknotes in the vehicle.

Authorities believe organised criminal networks are involved in this smuggling operation.

Report: Low income linked to higher mortality risk

A recent report from the Norwegian Directorate of Health highlighted stark disparities in health outcomes based on income.

According to the findings of the report, people in the lowest income decile are five times more likely to die prematurely from preventable or treatable diseases compared to those in the highest income bracket.

The report also noted that income-related differences in mortality rates are less pronounced for diseases that are difficult to treat.