Unemployment
27. Oct 2025
Unemployment at 0.8% in September
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 0.8% in September, 0.1 percentage points less than the same month in the previous year.
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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 September the full-time unemployment was 244 persons, 32 fewer than in September. In total 282 persons were affected by unemployment, 63 fewer than the same month the year before.
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Lower unemployment rate for women
In September, 101 women were affected by unemployment, 43 fewer than in September 2024. The full-time equivalent of this figure is 90, corresponding to an unemployment rate of 0.6%, down 0.2 percentage points from September 2024.
181 men were affected by unemployment, 20 fewer than in September 2024. Men’s unemployment rate was 0.9% with a full-time equivalent of 156 unemployed men. This is 0.1 percentage points lower than the same month in the previous year.
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Highest unemployment in Suðuroy region
The map below shows unemployment rates by region. In September, Suðuroy had the highest rate at 1.4%, which is 0.8 percentage points higher than September 2024. Norðoyggjar region had the lowest unemployment rate at 0.4%.
More regional statistics on unemployment are found here: Norðoyggjar region, Eysturoy region, Streymoy region (north), Streymoy region (south), Vágar region, Sandoy region, Suðuroy region
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Largest decrease in youngest age groups
The highest unemployment rate in September, at 1.1%, was registered in the 25-34 age group, despite the group having the largest decrease with 0.4 percentage points. The lowest rate, at 0.4%, was in the 16-24 age group, being 0.2 percentage points lower than September last year. Unemployment rates for the other age groups remain stable.
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One-of-eight 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 September (87 persons, or 31% of the unemployed people) were those who have been out of work for between 30 and 89 days.
In September, 37 persons (13% 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.
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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.