Oslo - Post Report Question and Answers
What types of jobs do most expatriate spouses/partners have? Locally based or telecommuting? Full-time or part-time? Can you comment on local salary scales?
There are some jobs at the embassy but the pay is low for how expensive the city is and the fact that local salaries are quite high. - Dec 2022
Very, very hard in particular if you do not speak Norwegian. - May 2021
Hard to get a job locally and spouses need to jump through lots of bureaucratic hoops to get license to work. - Jan 2020
There were EFM jobs available at post, mostly for low pay. - Dec 2016
Yes and no. Honestly, if you are a petroleum engineer or some such, you might be able to write your own ticket, though maybe not in this downturn. I knew people with great skills, including in IT and in international relations, who were never able to get their foot in the door. It helps a lot if you have a tie like a Norwegian spouse, I think, or a degree from a Norwegian school. Norwegians are skeptical about non-Norwegian CVs, at least U.S. CVs. - Dec 2015
Depending on your skill set, you may find something not requiring the language on the local economy, but despite English being so universally used, many jobs will require fluent Norwegian as well. - Jun 2015
See above. Good opportunities exist in research, academia, IT, and engineering, and will be in English language environments. For other careers, despite Norway's 3% unemployment rate, you will need fluent Norwegian. There is often a well-documented reluctance among employers to hire non-Norwegians, so it can be an uphill climb if you do not come here in advance with something lined up. - May 2013
Only if you speak Norwegian. - Aug 2011
Some spouses found jobs -- there is very little unemployment here. No idea how complicated the paperwork might be, though. - Jun 2009
