# SSB: 93,000 immigrants were overqualified in 2025 A new SSB analysis shows a gap between education and work. See who the figures cover and what you and an employer can clarify in autumn 2026. Canonical: https://samfunnprep.no/en/nyheter/ssb-overkvalifiserte-innvandrere-september-2026 Language: en Publisher: SamfunnPrep Author: Hlib Suslov Published: 2026-10-04T15:12:46.309+00:00 Modified: 2026-10-07T12:54:05.140748+00:00 AI use policy: https://samfunnprep.no/ai-policy.txt ## Key takeaways - 93,000 in 2025 SSB’s new analysis concerns immigrants with higher education working in occupations with lower education requirements. - Newcomers with under two years are excluded The study covers resident employees aged 20 to 66 with higher education. - No new application deadlines The report does not change residence rules; use autumn to clarify documentation and job requirements. Overqualified immigrants are the subject of a new analysis by Statistisk sentralbyrå. Figures for 2025 show that 93,000 worked in occupations below their education level. The report concerns employees with higher education, rather than everyone who has moved to Norway. ## What do the new figures show? **40 percent** of immigrants with higher education in the analysis were overqualified in 2025. Statistisk sentralbyrå (SSB), Norway’s official statistics agency, published the analysis on 15 September 2026. SSB examines resident employees aged **20 to 66** who have completed higher education. Self-employed people are excluded from this comparison. People who have lived in Norway for less than two years are also excluded. The figures therefore do not describe all newcomers. Here, overqualified means that the occupation normally does not require higher education. Working in another field at the same education level is a different situation. This distinction matters when reading [the new SSB analysis](https://www.ssb.no/arbeid-og-lonn/sysselsetting/artikler/93-000-innvandrere-var-overkvalifiserte-for-jobben). On SamfunnPrep, you can also find explanations about [work and labour immigration in Norway](https://samfunnprep.no/en/tema/arbeidsinnvandring). ## Does everyone lose the same amount in wages? No. SSB compares wages in two groups, rather than what the same person would earn in another job. Median monthly pay before tax in 2025 was **43,840 kroner** among overqualified immigrants. For immigrants with higher education working in occupations requiring that education, it was **66,150 kroner**. The median is the middle amount when wages are put in order. The difference does not establish an individual wage loss. Nor does it entitle every employee to the pay of the other group. ## What can you and an employer do now? You can make your education and experience easier to assess. An employer can check what your degree corresponds to before ruling out a possible professional position. Direktoratet for høyere utdanning og kompetanse (HK-dir), Norway’s directorate for higher education and skills, provides [information for employers about foreign higher education](https://hkdir.no/utdanning-fra-utlandet/for-arbeidsgivere/hoyere-utdanning). Both standard documents for certain degrees and an assessment service for employers are available. A practical starting point is to: - collect your diploma, transcript and descriptions of work experience - compare these documents with the duties and requirements of the position - check which recognition is actually relevant - agree on anything still missing before you can apply for a professional position. HK-dir states that general recognition of higher education is voluntary. It assesses level and scope, rather than subject content. See the distinctions in our guide to [recognition of foreign education](https://samfunnprep.no/en/articles/godkjenning-utenlandsk-utdanning). ## What should you follow this autumn? The report introduces no new application deadline or residence rules. As of **4 October 2026**, it provides evidence, rather than a decision establishing a new scheme. If you plan to move, you can use the autumn to clarify documentation with potential employers. Recognition of education does not itself provide a job. Start with the requirements of the specific position and distinguish them from the debate about the figures. ## FAQ ### Are 40 percent of all immigrants overqualified? No. The percentage refers to SSB’s study group: resident employees aged 20 to 66 with higher education. People with less than two years of residence and self-employed people are excluded. ### Are these figures for autumn 2026? The analysis was published on 15 September 2026, but its main figures refer to 2025. ### Does the wage difference create a right to higher pay? No. The difference between the groups’ median pay is a statistic, rather than an individual right to another group’s wages. ### Does recognition of education guarantee a job? No. General recognition assesses the level and scope of education. The employer must still assess the requirements of the position. ## Sources - [93 000 innvandrere var overkvalifiserte for jobben](https://www.ssb.no/arbeid-og-lonn/sysselsetting/artikler/93-000-innvandrere-var-overkvalifiserte-for-jobben) - [Våre godkjenningsordninger](https://hkdir.no/utdanning-fra-utlandet/vare-godkjenningsordninger) - [Høyere utdanning – for arbeidsgivere](https://hkdir.no/utdanning-fra-utlandet/for-arbeidsgivere/hoyere-utdanning) Citation: Hlib Suslov, "SSB: 93,000 immigrants were overqualified in 2025", SamfunnPrep, 2026-10-04T15:12:46.309+00:00, https://samfunnprep.no/en/nyheter/ssb-overkvalifiserte-innvandrere-september-2026