One in four foreign workers in Faroe Islands employed in low-wage food and fishing sectors

A quarter of foreign workers in the Faroe Islands are employed in food production and fishing—sectors that typically do not provide surplus value to the economy—according to a report by Faroese national broadcaster Kringvarp Føroya.

The number of foreign workers in the Faroese labour market has nearly quintupled since 2013, rising from 448 to 2,203 last year, marking a 392% increase. In 2013, only 8% of foreign workers were in food production, but the sector now accounts for a significantly larger share.

Data from Hagstovan (the Faroese statistics agency) shows that foreign labour is concentrated in fishing, construction, food retail, and hospitality. Kári Petersen, an economist, warned that importing workers for low-value sectors strains housing markets without contributing to economic growth.

“When we bring in labour, it should be for jobs that create surplus,” Petersen said. “Bringing in workers for sectors that don’t generate surplus is bad for the economy, especially when it’s already overheated. It doesn’t create growth—it just puts pressure on the housing market.”