Unemployment decreased between August and September, a report from the Directorate of Labour details, but the unemployment rate was still higher for immigrants.
Iceland’s overall unemployment rate is now 2.8%, down by 0.3% in August. This translates to about 5,400 people without work, 44% of whom are of foreign origin.
While unemployment has declined for immigrants, 5.6% of them are currently without work. This includes some 1,250 Poles, who comprise the largest ethnic minority in Iceland.
As is almost always the case, unemployment was highest in Suðurnes, at 4.8%. At the same time, it was lowest in Northwest Iceland, at 0.7%, and at about 3.2% in the capital area. All other areas of the country saw unemployment at about 1%.
The Directorate does not expect these figures to change by much in October. These unemployment figures are all in line with Iceland experiencing a massive labour shortage, in sectors such as construction and tourism.
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