Fact Book on Working Environments and Health 2024

The workforce is Norway’s most important resource, and a high employment rate is crucial for maintaining the Norwegian welfare state. With significant transformations in the labour market due to demographic changes, digitalization, and industry shifts, we face several challenges in the years ahead. A good working environment is emphasized as a key factor for inclusion in working life and for preventing workforce dropout due to illness, ailments and disability.

The work environment is being shaped by both small, gradual changes and large-scale transformations over time. Rapid and accelerating digitalization is affecting both where and how we work, creating both opportunities and challenges. New technology is being introduced in various parts of working life, impacting industries in different ways. Changes in job content and organization are occurring more frequently and rapidly, placing greater demands on employees’ competencies and skills, such as the ability to learn, collaborate, and adapt to change. The transition to a more environmentally friendly and sustainable development is affecting multiple areas of working life. The development of so-called green jobs is leading to new workplace exposures, about which we still have limited knowledge.

Relationship between the labour force and working life

Over the last several decades, Norway has enjoyed significant economic growth, high employment rates and low unemployment, which means the country distinguishes itself favourably compared to most industrialised countries. In 2023, the labour force consisted of about 73 per cent of the population between the ages of 15 and 74, the equivalent of roughly 3 million people. The remaining 27 per cent (approx. 1.1 million people) were primarily old-age pensioners (36%), disabled persons (32%), or pupils/students (22%). Unemployed persons comprised 3.6 per cent of the labour force (107,000 people).

The labour force does not directly reflect the composition of the population. There are roughly just as many men as women in the population. However, men are over-represented in the labour force. The 30 to 61 age group is also strongly over-represented in the labour force (67% of the labour force compared to 51% of the population), while those ages 62 or older are under-represented (10% of the labour force compared to 26% of the population). Increasing life expectancy has led to a political ambition to increase the number of working years. The pension reform has made it possible to retire before age 67 and still continue to work. Employment of older persons has increased since the 1970s, particularly among men ages 60–74 and women ages 65–74. Employment has steadily increased among women ages 60–64.

Working hours, non-standard employment and industry affiliation

Over a longer period, the actual number of working hours per employee has gradually decreased, but due to increased employment, the total number of working hours in the population has remained relatively stable. The average weekly working hours is 36.1 for men and 31 hours for women in the age group 15–74 in 2022. Nearly 35 per cent of all employed women are working part time. Average weekly working hours in Norway are marginally higher than the average for the EU, while the percentage of people working longer hours per week is lower in Norway compared to most European countries.

The prevalence of temporary employment in Norway is relatively low compared to most other countries, and this has remained at a stable 8 per cent over the last few decades. The same applies to self-employed persons, where the proportion was around 4 per cent in 2022. Although there are no official statistics for employment in the platform economy, it is assumed that this is limited. Non-resident wage earners made up 3 per cent of all employed persons in 2023.

In 2023, 2.3 per cent of all employees were working in primary industries (agriculture, forestry, fisheries and aquaculture), while 20 per cent were working in secondary industries, and 78 per cent were employed in service sectors of the tertiary industries. The health and care industry has the highest number of employees (612,000), followed by wholesale and retail (366,100), construction (262,900), education (236,100), manufacturing (224,000), and public administration and defence (207,000). These industries comprise a total of 64% of all employed persons. Changes in the composition of the industries over time reflect the development of employment in Norway.

Business and occupational groups are important categories when describing the state of working environments in Norway. According to the 2022 Survey on living conditions and the working environment (LKU-A) by Statistics Norway, women made up 47 per cent of all employed persons, while men made up 53 per cent. Women are over-represented in health and care services, public administration and education, while men are over-represented in defence, maritime occupations, construction, transportation and manufacturing. Younger and older employed persons have less affiliation to their workplace than the middle age groups, although there are also significant differences in work tasks among the various age groups. Young employees are over-represented in occupations with high turnover and in occupations where higher education is not required, while they are under-represented in management positions. Older employees are over-represented in occupations where experience is essential, although under-represented in more physically demanding occupations.

The state of the working environment

From a European perspective, employees in Norway rank highly in terms of working environment factors that affect job satisfaction and motivation. Norwegian employees report high scores on various positive aspects of the work environment, such as the opportunity to influence their own work, recognition, development opportunities, and self-fulfilment through their jobs.

Overall, the development of the organisational and psychosocial working environment has remained stable from 2019 to 2022, despite the pandemic. The most notable change over the last three years is the increase in the percentage who report working from home during the day on a weekly basis. The percentage of employees who work outside ordinary working hours or night shifts, or who have long work weeks remains stable and is most prevalent in maritime and aviation industries, as well as healthcare and hospitality. There has also been stability in terms of high demands, low job control, role conflicts and emotional demands. These factors are prevalent within healthcare and social services, wholesale and retail, transportation and education. Violence and threats are more common in occupations with more customer and client contact and are more frequently experienced by women. There has been a slight increase in bullying and unwanted sexual attention over time, but this has remained unchanged over the last three years.

In recent decades, mechanical and physical exposures in the working environment have primarily been reduced, although the prevalence is still high in certain occupations and industries. Occupation-specific mechanical stress occurs in both female-dominated occupations such as hairdressing and cleaning, and in the healthcare sector, and in male-dominated industries such as construction, manufacturing and automotive repair.

The prevalence of loud noise and poor indoor climate has been reduced in the last two decades. Employees in primary and secondary industries, such as automotive repair, maritime and aviation continue to report a high prevalence of loud noise and vibrations. There are also reports of loud noise in kindergartens. A poor indoor climate is a widespread problem among employees in healthcare, social services and education.

There are several chemical and biological substances and materials that may pose health hazards, and ongoing work aim to regulate and limit exposure to the most harmful substances to prevent the development of health issues and illnesses in the workplace. The main exposure pathways in the work environment are inhalation and skin contact. Manual, male-dominated occupations in construction, agriculture, automotive repair, water/sewerage/waste management, and industry are most exposed to airborne contaminants. Regarding passive smoking, those working in home care and nursing homes are also at risk.

The use of cleaning products and disinfectants, as well as wet work, has increased. This is likely related to the Covid-19 pandemic, where frequent handwashing and disinfecting were among the most important infection control measures. The greatest risk is exposure to biological materials such as bodily fluids and tissues, wastewater and decomposed waste, and live or dead animals in the primary industries of water, sewage, and waste disposal; health and care services; hospitality (including food and beverages and lodging); and commercial cleaning.

The state of occupational health

There has been a slight increase in the percentage of employees who have reported work-related musculoskeletal pain in recent decades. Industries including hospitality, construction, transportation and storage, agriculture, fisheries and aquaculture, as well as healthcare and social services all have high number of incidences of such problems. Occupational groups such as cleaners, drivers and construction workers are particularly at risk.

The prevalence of mental health disorders, including work-related mental health problems has increased over time, with a particularly sharp increase among younger employees. More than 20 per cent of employees in the fields of aviation, hospital services, nursing and care homes, emergency services, correctional services, road and rail passenger transport, as well as postal, courier and delivery services report work-related sleep problems.

There has been a declining trend in self-reported respiratory symptoms from 2000 to 2013, where the incidence rate was nearly halved from 10 to 5 per cent. The incidence rate stabilised after this point. Industries with both the highest percentage of respiratory symptoms and diseases and reports of exposure to air pollution are water, sewage and waste disposal, construction, property/security services, and road and rail freight transport. Roughly 1,000 cancer cases in Norway each year are linked to occupational exposure, where lung cancer is the most prevalent form of cancer, and mesothelioma (cancer of the lung and chest wall lining) is almost always due to occupational exposure. Industries and occupations related to manufacturing and construction have the prevalence of such cases. Cancer cases can often be linked to exposure occurring decades earlier, which indicates that the disease identified today often reflect issues with the working environment years ago.

The prevalence of self-reported skin disorders has remained stable over the past two decades. Occupational groups with the highest proportion of skin conditions and diseases who are also exposed to skin irritants are those providing personal services, those working in automotive repair or nursing and care homes, and those in the hospitality industry.

Occupational noise has been reduced, and hearing tests indicate that hearing is generally better among employees today than it was thirty years ago. However, the number of self-reported hearing problems and tinnitus remains at the same level as before, which could indicate a greater awareness of work-related noise and noise-induced hearing loss. Work performed in or with machines and with tools that produce loud noise and vibrations is the common denominator for industries and occupational groups exposed to loud noise, vibrations and working in hot or cold environments. These include aviation and maritime industries, agriculture, fisheries and aquaculture, construction, manufacturing (factory work), and water, sewage and waste disposal. The number of assessments for hand-arm vibration syndrome, which occurs as a result of using handheld impact tools, has increased in recent years. Most cases are reported by construction workers, mechanics, plumbers, carpenters and road and rail workers.

Generally, the incidence rate of work-related injuries has slowly decreased. According to the LKU-A survey, the incidence rate of work-related injuries decreased from around 3 per cent per year in the 1990s to 2 per cent in 2022. In 2022, 23,000 cases of work-related injuries were reported by employers, while the 2022 LKU-A survey showed that around 53,000 employed persons reported work-related injuries that resulted in sick leave absence. Work-related injuries are most prevalent in industries and occupations related to transportation, healthcare and agriculture. Workplace injuries are most common in occupations and industries related to agriculture and fishing, construction, transportation, and healthcare.

Sick leave absence and workplace dropout

Musculoskeletal disorders and mental health disorders comprise well over half of all cases of sick leave absence. Over time, the percentage of sick leave absence due to musculoskeletal disorders has decreased, while the percentage of mental health disorders has increased. In 2022, 19 per cent of employees reported having had a sick leave of more than 14 consecutive days in the past year, with with more than one in three of these cases attributed entirely or partly to job-related health issue.

The highest total sick leave absence over 16 days was among employees in occupations and industries involving kindergartens, healthcare and other social services. Cleaners, hairdressers and transportation workers also have a relatively high rate of sick leave absence. The health and care industry, which employs roughly one in five employees, and where 80 per cent are women, has a strong impact on the total sick leave absence. Musculoskeletal disorders are most prevalent among cleaners, healthcare workers and heavy goods vehicle drivers. Mental health disorders are responsible for the highest rate of sick leave absence among social educators and social workers and kindergarten teachers. Cardiovascular diseases are responsible for the highest rate of sick leave absence among heavy goods vehicle drivers, bus and taxi drivers and pilots.

At the end of 2023, 366,600 individuals were receiving disability benefits, the equivalent of 10.4 per cent of the population between the ages of 18 and 67, and around 26,900 new cases of disability were reported in 2023. By defining dropout from the workforce as absence from work six months after a continuous sick leave of nine months, there were, on average, 66 cases of dropout per 10,000 employees from 2015 to 2022. The highest dropout rates were observed in the transportation industry and the health and care sector, where the dropout rate is approximately twice as high as the average. Office workers and employees in the defence sector and in emergency and correctional services have the lowest rate of workplace dropout, with 20–30 cases per 10,000 employees.

Risk-exposed industries and preventive working environment measures

The fact book provides a comprehensive description of the main working environment and health challenges faced by various industries and occupational groups. The purpose is to identify industries and jobs with a high concentration of work environment exposures as well as health problems, diseases, and work-related injuries. It also examines gender differences in work environment, considering that men and women tend to work in different industries and occupations.

The risk profiles for 39 industries and 44 occupational groups are examined with respect to the following topics:

• Mechanical/psychosocial exposure and musculoskeletal disorders
• Psychosocial exposure, and mental health disorders.
• Chemical exposure, work-related respiratory symptoms and diseases.
• Chemical exposure, work-related skin conditions and risk factors.
• Occupational injuries and risk factors.
• Working environment risks and work-related sick leave absence.

Preventive measures in the workplace require a collective effort to create safe working conditions that promote good occupational health. This involves reducing risk factors and strengthening protective factors, based on research-backed measures. Key actors in this effort include public authorities, labor market parties, and the companies themselves, with essential collaboration among them.

The Norwegian Working Environment Act emphasizes preventive health measures. Enforcement through supervision has been shown to improve compliance and reduce work-related injuries. Employers, with employee involvement, are primarily responsible for adhering to the Act’s requirements. The Internal Control Regulations mandate systematic HSE follow-up, with collaboration from employees and their representatives, including safety representatives and the working environment committee.

In a European context, Norway has a high percentage of safety representatives, and many Norwegian undertakings conduct regular risk assessments. Nevertheless, there are major differences between the industries, and the Norwegian Labour Inspection Authority reports a significant potential for improvement. Around 60 per cent of Norwegian undertakings do not carry out risk assessments systematically in accordance with all requirements stated in the regulation. Among those who had satisfactorily conducted risk assessments and determined the need for risk-reducing measures, the report indicates that two-thirds (66%) had systematically implemented such measures.

Analyses of data from the 2022 LKU-A survey indicate that employees in undertakings without company health services have less access to a safety representative, working environment committee, trade unions or employee representatives. Women, young people, immigrants and people with limited education have less access to occupational health services, and they make less frequent use of them than other groups. Common working environment measures include more job control, adaptations involving fewer working hours for those with health problems, and equipment to reduce uncomfortable working positions.

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