Unemployment
27. Apr 2026
Unemployment at 1% in March
Unemployed people are registered as unemployed with the Faroese unemployment system and the social welfare services, fully available to the labour market and actively seeking work.
The unemployment rate was 1% in March, 0.2 percentage points less than the same month in the previous year.
[px-graph-1]
In March 366 persons were unemployed, 65 fewer than the same month the year before.
A full-time unemployed person is defined as one who is unemployed throughout a full month. If two persons are affected by unemployment for half a month each, they are converted to one full-time unemployed person for the month in question. In March the full-time unemployment was 312 persons, 50 fewer than in March last year.
[px-graph-2]
Higher unemployment rate for men
In March, 136 women were affected by unemployment. The full-time equivalent of this figure is 109, corresponding to an unemployment rate of 0.8%. This rate is down 0.1 percentage point from March 2025.
230 men were affected by unemployment. The full-time equivalent is 203, which corresponds to an unemployment rate of 1,2 %. This is 0.2 percentage points lower than the same month in the previous year.
[px-graph-3]
Lowest unemployment in Norðoyggjar region
The map below shows unemployment rates by region. In March, Norðoyggjar region had the lowest unemployment rate at 0.5%, which is a decrease of 0.3 percentage points compared to the same month the previous year. Suðuroy region had the highest unemployment rate at 2.3%, which, however, is 0.9 percentage points lower than the same monthe the previous year.
More regional statistics on unemployment are found here: Norðoyggjar region, Eysturoy region, Streymoy region (north), Streymoy region (south), Vágar region, Sandoy region, Suðuroy region
[px-graph-4]
Largest decrease in youngest age groups
The highest unemployment rate in March, at 1.5%, was registered in the 25-34 age group. Compared to the same month in the previous year, the unemployment rate has decreased across all the age groups. The largest decrease was in the youngest age group by 0.4 percentage points.
[px-graph-5]
One-of-nine has been unemployed for more than a year
The graph below shows how long people have been affected by unemployment. The largest group of unemployed people in March (3"% of the unemployed people) were those who have been out of work for between 30 and 89 days.
In March, 42 persons (11.5% of all unemployed people) were long-term unemployed. This means that they have been out of work for more than a year (365+ days). This is stable compared to last year.
[px-graph-6]
Unemployment as a statistical concept
Statistics Faroe Islands and other statistics agencies across the world use the definitions of unemployment given by the International Labour Organisation (ILO), which is a United Nations agency.
According to this definition, the unemployment rate reflects the proportion of the labour force that does not have a job, is available to the labour market and is actively looking for work.
Statistical scope for unemployment figures
The source of the unemployment figures are individuals who are registered with the unemployment office (ALS) and the social welfare centre (Almannaverkið) and who meet the criteria mentioned above. The sources, and thus Statistic Faroe Islands’ unemployment figures, only cover people aged 16-66.
In order to make international comparisons, the unemployment figures from the Labour force survey must be used.