Survey Puts January Unemployment Above Registry Figures

2026-02-26 - 09:57

Two official measures of unemployment in Iceland presented notably different results for January, reflecting contrasting methods of calculation. As reported by RÚV, Statistics Iceland stated that 7.3% of the labour force was unemployed last month, based on its seasonally adjusted labour market survey. What's the Story? 7.3% unemployment in January, equal to 17,400 people, according to Statistics Iceland’s labour market survey 4.9% registered unemployment in January, reported by the Directorate of Labour 8.9% registered unemployment in Suðurnes, highest regional rate; higher registration among men than women Hallargarðurinn, where many students work as summer gardeners. Photo: Golli. Iceland Review. Survey, registry contrast The survey, which gathers information directly from individuals about their employment status, estimated that 17,400 people were without work. This represents an increase of 3.1 percentage points compared with January last year. According to the same survey, 75.5% of people were in employment, while overall labour force participation stood at 81.6%. In comparison, the Directorate of Labour recorded a lower unemployment rate of 4.9% in January. The directorate’s figures are based on the number of individuals formally registered as unemployed. That rate was 0.7 percentage points higher than in the same month last year. Registered unemployment was considerably higher among men than women. The Suðurnes region continued to record the highest level of registered unemployment, at 8.9%. The difference between the two measures reflects their methodology: Statistics Iceland relies on survey responses, while the Directorate of Labour counts those who register as seeking work.