Barents Region needs drivers, doctors and teachers

What are the most demanded professions in the Barents Region, and what are the most popular ones? Figures assembled by Patchwork Barents show that there are many similarities among northern countries when it comes to the labour market.

According to Norway’s Employment Survey 2015, published by the Norwegian Labour and Welfare Administration, these are the sectors most in need of workers:

Barents Norway in particular has a lack of nurses, doctors, psychologists, engineers (electrical, construction), pre-school and elementary schoolteachers, as well as health and social care workers. Also, for those who want to work as a carpenter, joiner, plumber, electrician, cook/chef, welder, mechanic, automation, surface treatment worker, concrete worker, retail shop assistant, driver or finance employee, there are good chances of getting a job.

In 2014, the largest share of workforce in Northern Norway was registered in the service and sales sectors, a total of 59,528 people. Academic positions made the second largest share (48,458 people), followed by technicians, associate professionals and armed forces (36,367 people). Other common professions in Barents Norway, as figures of 2014 show, are managers, clerical support workers; skilled agricultural, forestry and fishery workers; craft and related trades workers, plant and machine operators and assemblers.

In the north of Russia, the situation is quite similar. According to statistics from the regional employment service, some of the most demanded professions in Murmansk Oblast in the first half of 2015 were cleaner, which had 282 vacant places, driver (232 vacancies), laboring man and street cleaner (166 vacancies), and doctor (which had 101 vacanies, but managed to attract only seven applicants). During the same period of 2015, there were no vacancies for miners and master’s mates and very few for masters, bulldozer operators, engineers and joiners.

The most demanded professions in Archangelsk Oblast were steel fixers, concrete workers, borers, accountants, tree fellers, drivers, pre-school teachers, doctors engineers and cashier. In 2015, the employment service of the Republic of Karelia offered 920 vacancies for military men (enlisted men and sergeants), 602 for drivers, 428 for salesman, 348 for doctors and 308 for nurses. Among other demanded professions in Karelia were cook, consultant, shooter, bricklayer and paramedic.

In general, most Russians in the North work in manufacturing industries, education, public health services, transport and communications, production and distribution of gas and water, public management and commerce.

It is also worth noting that the unemployment rate became lower in the Barents Region in 2014, compared to the previous years. Thus, in the three counties of Barents Norway, only about two percent of the labour pool has difficulties finding a job, show statistics from Patchwork Barents. The highest number of unemployed people has been registered in the Finnish region of Kainuu, 16.9 percent.

This story is published in cooperation with Patchwork Barents.