Welcome to Vest-Viken
Welcome to Vest-Viken, which consists of Buskerud county and the municipalities of Jevnaker, Asker and Bærum (west of Oslo), where the job opportunities are numerous.
The labour market in Vest-Viken
The unemployment rate is very low, 2 percent in April 2024. And at the same time, the demand for workers is quite high in various sectors. The demand is particularly high for workers with vocational/professional education and training.
Most jobs are to be found in these sectors:
Health care
Health care (all positions), General nurses; specialized nurses (theatre nurses, intensive care nurses; doctor specialists (mental health, substance abuse treatment, oncology, neurology, rheumatology, internal medicine, radiology); pharmacists; optometrists
Tourism and hospitality
Tourism and hospitality (all positions), Cooks and chefs; waiters/waitresses/bartenders; hotel workers; both permanent staff and seasonal staff (summer and winter); seasonal staff: nature guides; river & rafting guides; ski instructors; ski resort workers
Transport
Transport; Bus drivers D/DE; lorry drivers C/CE – with Driver Certificate of Professional Competence (CPC)
ICT
ICT (all positions), Professionals within software development/ system development; digital communication; information security and computer security; data analysis; AI; machine learning; service design.
Mechanics
Mechanics; Car mechanics; heavy vehicle mechanics; construction engines mechanics; machine mechanics
Industry
Industry (all positions), Electricians; mechanics; welders and sheet metal workers; Engineers: electrical; mechanical; automation and instrumentation.
Construction and civil works
Construction and civil works (all positions), Skilled/professional Electricians; carpenters; plumbers; drivers of construction engines and cranes; service technicians; welders / sheet metal workers; Engineers.
NB! Increasing unemployment in this sector since 2023, with many temporary lay-offs, and lower demand expected in this sector during 2024. This is due to the high interest rates and an increase in building costs making it more expensive to build, while there has not been a rise in the price of new housing to compensate for the increased cost.
Personal services
Personal services; Hairdressers & barbers, beauty & wellness workers
Business and trades in Vest-Viken
While the most important business trades in Vest-Viken are commerce and building & civil works, there are regional characteristics.
The Asker and Bærum region: ICT; knowledge-based and service industries, especially consulting and advisory services, including in the oil & gas, electronics and construction industries. Some of the country’s largest international companies have their headquarter in Asker or Bærum (Aker Solutions, Telenor, Wilh. Wilhemsen Holding ASA, DNV Det Norske Veritas, IKEA and many more)
The Drammen region: very diversified businesses: finance, supply industry, ICT, Health industry/e-health, commerce, building & civil works.
The Hadeland region: commerce, building & civil works and health.
The Hallingdal region: tourism and hospitality; situated half-way between Oslo and Bergen, the mountainous Hallingdal is the touristic pole of Vest-Viken. For jobs in tourism in Hallingdal choose “Reiseliv og mat” in Yrkeskategori. Other important trades: building & civil works, commerce and supply industry.
The Kongsberg region: technology and energy. Kongsberg houses several large international technology companies (Kongsberg Gruppen (Kongsberg Maritime, Kongsberg Defense & Aerospace, Kongsberg Discovery, Kongsberg Digital), TechnipFMC, Kongsberg Automotive ASA, GKN Aerospace, and several more.
Several energy and technology companies in Vest-Viken are members of the Norwegian technology cluster and Centre of Expertise Energy Valley.
Viken county is also the largest agricultural county in Norway, with a main production of cereals, fruits and vegetables. It has a significant forest industry.
How to look for jobs
Find more detailed information about how to look for jobs and much more in the document Looking for work in Norway.
Membership of the National Insurance Scheme
Watch the video, learn more about which country is responsible for your #SocialSecurity rights.
In Norway, Membership of the National Insurance Scheme is administrated by Nav, the Norwegian Labour and Welfare administration.
If you are a citizen of an EU/EEA-country or Switzerland, and come to work in Norway, you automatically become a member of the Norwegian National Insurance Scheme from your first day of work.
Formalities
When moving to Norway for work you have rights and duties as a foreign worker; read more on The official guide Work In Norway that gives you a step by step guidance about recognition of your education, your rights as a worker, taxes, right of residence, and more.
For more information, please contact us: nav.eures.vest-viken@nav.no
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