People who have lost their jobs, or fear they might be fired, have shown huge interest in jobs abroad. Foreign companies see opportunities and want to send their emissaries to Iceland to look for staff. When the Directorate of Labour and its European counterpart EURES held their first meeting about jobs in Europe in 2006, only one person turned up. This weekend, a similar meeting is being held for the third time, but this time EURES advisor Valdimar Olafsson says he will be surprised if fewer than 2,000 turn up.
Three thousand Icelanders have enquired about ten jobs in the Norwegian oil industry that the company job.is advertised on its website. Olafsson says that the greatest demand is for qualified people such as engineers, computer scientists and technologists. So far, no one has shown any interest in business administrators or economists. Advisors will come from eight countries to publicise vacant jobs, although the greatest interest is shown by Norwegians as there is a lack of qualified personnel in Norway, not least engineers, computer scientists and technologists. The Dutch have shown interest in tradespeople.
The Directorate of Labour was overflowing yesterday. Unemployment increased by 15% this week and there are now 7,000 people on the unemployment register country-wide. Valdimar Olafsson says that if the interest and demand for jobs overseas is anything to go by, a mass migration from Iceland in the years to come would come as no surprise.
Imagine how the Icelanders work in Poland or Lithuania. Imagine “hard working” Icelanders in the polish building industry. Or the fat Icelandic Biz. Adm. students working as high-tech specialists in Lithuania to pay their 40 years student loan. Here we go…
“So far, no one has shown any interest in business administrators or economists.”
What an irony;-).
I hope that every Icelander working abroad is treated in the same way he/she treated foreigners at home.
Dont worry , icelander wont need such things , if icelander needs to work abroad i m sure norway , sweden , denmark are enough for them , because these countries will welcome icelander because icelander are one of them.
“these countries will welcome icelander because icelander are one of them”
Yeah, just like Austrians and the Swiss welcome all Germans – or the other way round…
:-/
But certainly going to Scandinavia is a better idea than to go to Poland. Small annoyances shouldn’t keep Icelanders from looking for jobs in, say, Denmark:
“Although most Icelanders abroad are not treated any differently because of the financial crisis, some Icelanders in Denmark have been faced with prejudice because of their nationality; a phone company recently refused to serve an Icelandic woman.”
http://www.icelandreview.com/icelandreview/search/news/Default.asp?ew_0_a_id=314360
“My friends abroad have been verbally assaulted in stores when outed as Icelanders. I was shocked to sense the blatant hostility towards Icelanders the last time I visited Denmark.”
http://icelandweatherreport.com/2008/10/what-really-matters.html#comment-3165
Looks like you can’t take anything for granted. Common heritage is no guarantee for sympathy.
At least you will be welcome in Norway, velkommen til Norge :)
You know Gray if thos stories are true they could make some money out of this. It is totally forbidden to discriminate people in Denmark and the fines are quite hefty.
I just pissed myself reading the post below the one linked to in Gray’s second link :D .
The Nordic family – with the exception of the Faroe Isles (it’s pretty lonely out there) – didn’t race to the rescue with financial aid.
They waited until the IMF and UK, Dutch and German authorities agreed to provide assistance.
http://www.icenews.is/index.php/2008/11/20/breaking-news-iceland-imf-loan-approved/#more-4513
http://www.icenews.is/index.php/2008/11/20/dutch-german-and-british-loan-of-13bn-euro/
As the saying goes – ‘You can choose your friends, but not your family.’
Family cannot be easily be disregarded, however that does not mean that they cannot be embarrassing delinquent cousins.
Bromley86 – thanks for drawing attention to the item in Gray’s link – brilliant – puts things in the most fundamental of perspectives.
ROFL: “So far, no one has shown any interest in business administrators or economists”
Bromley86 – PS read it a few times – still laughing.
Also because – “Gurdan Brown say fox eat chicken so no chance and then he grab all egg he can.”
Well Gordun just given me my egg, but I don’t think Iceland will find its billion pound chicken!
@Terry.
You know Danes are rich but we are not stupid, we agreed to help Iceland not invite them for a free “get out of jail card”. Since out National bank had no idea of knowing the situation in the Icelandic economy, they would wait to hear what the IMF had to say about it. The IMF decision got filibustered behind the curtains by some EU nations, since Denmark wasn’t a part of this extortion scheme. Denmark obviously thought something was completely wrong, and waited to see what happened.