Norwegian summer job market contracts, raising concerns for youth employment opportunities

Vilde Robertsen Sjåvik, 21, and Ingrid Normann Gundersen, 17, have found summer jobs as basketball coaches. However, fewer businesses planned to hire summer temps this year, according to data from the Confederation of Norwegian Enterprise (NHO).

Kirsten Lia of the Norwegian Confederation of Trade Unions (LO) is worried that young people may struggle to find summer jobs. However, Nina Melsom, Director of Working Life at NHO, believes that hiring summer temps is a win-win situation as it provides young people with valuable insight into the world of work and businesses with new perspectives and ideas.

In the Tromsøhallen, dozens of children aged 8-16 are gathered to play basketball. Sjåvik, who is studying to become a basketball coach in Stockholm, is one of the main coaches at the summer school. Gundersen, who has played basketball for many years, is also employed as a basketball coach. She believes the best thing about being a basketball coach is getting to play even in the summer.

Although Sjåvik and Gundersen were successful in finding summer jobs, it may have been harder for others this year. According to a survey from NHO, fewer businesses planned to hire summer temps this year than in 2020, during the pandemic.

Lia, who has been part of LO’s summer patrol for four years, says some businesses simply said they did not hire summer temps this year. She is concerned about this trend, especially if businesses are not hiring due to lack of positions.

Melsom does not know why businesses did not plan to hire summer temps this year, but she speculates that the decline in the construction industry, the cost of living affecting service and trade industries, and a return to normalcy after the pandemic may have played a part. However, she believes hiring summer temps is beneficial for both parties and hopes the numbers will increase in the future.

Lia warns that if young people are not given opportunities to enter the workforce, it could lead to a worrying trend of a workforce comprised only of older individuals or those who have been in the workforce for a long time. Sjåvik agrees, noting that young people need to gain experience and have a responsibility to the next generation.