Recently published statistics show a significant decline in the labour force participation rate of people with disabilities in Norway. Labour force participation among this group was 46.4% in the second quarter of 2003, compared with 49.5% in the same quarter of 2002. This fall has occurred despite recent measures to encourage the employment of people with disabilities.
Recent figures from Statistics Norway (Statistisk Sentralbyrå, SSB) show a significant decline in the labour force participation rate of people with disabilities, or 'impaired functionality'. Only 42.5% of all people in this group were in employment in the second quarter of 2003, while at the same time 3.9% were unemployed, compared with 46.6% and 3.1% respectively in the same quarter of 2002. The total labour force participation rate of people with disabilities/impaired functionality was 46.4% in the second quarter of 2003 - a significant drop from the 49.5% recorded in the same quarter of 2002. The figure is much lower than that for the whole population, which has a labour force participation rate of 79% in 2003. The unemployment rate, on the other hand, is not higher among people with disabilities than in the population at large.
According to SSB, some 44% of employed people with disabilities work part time, compared with 26% for the population as a whole (this has changed little recently). Around 59% of employed women with disabilities work part time, as opposed to 42% for all women, and the equivalent figures for men are 27% and 12% respectively. Some 11% of employees with disabilities are temporarily employed, which is very much in line with the national average. A majority of the people with disabilities in employment state that there are limitations to the type of tasks they may carry out (63%) and also the number of hours they may work. Around half of the employees in this group have had their work situation adjusted according to their degree of disability, mostly in the form of changes in the types of task they carry out or alterations to working time. A fifth of those not subject to such adjustments argue that there is a need for alterations to their work situation.
A number of measures have been taken in recent years to encourage the employment of people with disabilities. In July 2001, discrimination against job applicants with disabilities was made unlawful by amendments to the Act relating to Workers’ Protection and the Working Environment (AML) (NO0108138F). In November 2002, the government appointed a committee to consider strengthening disability discrimination measures. The committee it is to conclude its work by 31 December 2004. In October 2001, the social partners and the government concluded an agreement on achieving a more 'inclusive working life' (inkluderende arbeidsliv, IA), known as the 'IA agreement' (NO0110107F), whose aims included improving the employment situation of people with disabilities. In the light of this objective, many companies have subsequently entered into individual IA agreements with the social insurance authorities, committing themselves to make adjustments to the workplace for older or disabled employees. By June 2003, some 42% of all Norwegian employees were covered by such schemes (NO0308102N).