They have qualifications, but worse jobs and low earnings. New data on immigrants

Data from Statistics Norway (SSB) show that the scale of overqualification among immigrants has remained at a similar level for years. Over the past decade, the share of people with higher education working in occupations with lower requirements ranged from 38 percent in 2023 to 43 percent in 2017. In 2025, it was 40 percent.

However, the number of such workers is changing. From 2022 to 2025, the number of overqualified immigrants increased by 23 percent, while the number of immigrant workers rose by 20 percent during that period. SSB links this change primarily to an increase in the number of people who have lived in Norway for a relatively short time, particularly Ukrainian citizens.

The highest share of overqualified workers was recorded among some immigrants from Asia and Africa, as well as other countries in this group, who had lived in Norway for less than ten years. Between 2023 and 2025, the rate in this group rose from 50 to 58 percent. This meant nearly 29,000 workers—more than twice as many as in 2015.

According to SSB, Ukrainian refugees accounted for the vast majority of this increase. Relatively many people in this group have higher education, and an increasing number are finding employment. In July 2026, a total of 32,000 Ukrainians were working in Norway. At the same time, people from Ukraine working below their qualifications received median monthly earnings of NOK 39,210 in 2025.

The median monthly earnings of immigrants who were not overqualified amounted to NOK 66,150 in 2025. For those working below their qualifications, the figure was NOK 43,840. The difference therefore exceeded NOK 22,000 per month. The earnings of the first group were nearly 51 percent higher.

The comparison looks different for people working in jobs matching their qualifications. Immigrants in this group received median earnings of NOK 66,150, while the figure for the rest of the population was NOK 65,250. The difference was 1.4 percent. The largest number of overqualified immigrants worked in trade, hotels and restaurants, where there were around 31,000 of them in 2025, while another approximately 21,000 worked in healthcare and social assistance.

SSB notes that despite the increase in the number of overqualified immigrants, their share of the entire group has remained relatively stable for a decade. One of the more noticeable changes can be seen in industry, energy and construction, where the number of such workers has been steadily falling since 2018. The data cover people aged 20 to 66 who have completed higher education, work and have lived in Norway for at least two years.