That path was contested — by socialist-inspired workers on the one hand and capitalist owners and their elite cronies on the other — but it led in the end to a mixed economy. Thanks largely to the solidarity and savvy of organized labor and the political parties it backed, the long struggle produced a system that makes capitalism more or less cooperative, and then redistributes equitably the wealth it helps to produce.
Struggles like this took place around the world in the twentieth century, but the Scandinavians alone managed to combine the best ideas of both camps, while chucking out the worst. Since then, all the Scandinavian countries and their Nordic neighbors Finland and Iceland have been improving upon that hybrid system.
In addition, those confederations work together to minimize the disparity between high-wage and lower-wage jobs. As a result, Norway ranks with Sweden, Denmark, and Finland among the most income-equal countries in the world , and its standard of living tops the charts.
The government, elected by the people, sees to that. In the US, however, neoliberal politics put the foxes in charge of the henhouse, and capitalists have used the wealth generated by their enterprises as well as financial and political manipulations to capture the state and pluck the chickens.
Today, only 11 percent of American workers belong to a union. In Norway, that number is 52 percent; in Denmark, 67 percent; in Sweden, 70 percent. In the Nordic countries, on the other hand, democratically elected governments give their populations freedom from the market by using capitalism as a tool to benefit everyone.
That liberates their people from the tyranny of the mighty profit motive that warps so many American lives, leaving them freer to follow their own dreams — to become poets or philosophers, bartenders or business owners, as they please.
Consider the Norwegian welfare state. In other words, aid to the sick or the elderly is not charity, grudgingly donated by elites to those in need.
It is the right of every individual citizen. Treating every person as a citizen affirms the individuality of each and the equality of all. It frees every person from being legally possessed by another — a husband, for example or a tyrannical father. Which brings us to the heart of Scandinavian democracy: the equality of women and men. In the s, Norwegian feminists marched into politics and picked up the pace of democratic change.
Norway needed a larger labor force, and women were the answer. Housewives moved into paid work on an equal footing with men, nearly doubling the tax base. That has, in fact, meant more to Norwegian prosperity than the coincidental discovery of North Atlantic oil reserves. In , thanks to the hard work of organized feminists, Congress passed the bipartisan Comprehensive Child Development Bill to establish a multi-billion dollar national day care system for the children of working parents.
In , President Richard Nixon vetoed it, and that was that. In , Congress also passed a bill first proposed in to amend the Constitution to grant equal rights of citizenship to women.
Ratified by only 35 states, three short of the required 38, that Equal Rights Amendment , or ERA, was declared dead in , leaving American women in legal limbo. Today, nearly half a century after Nixon trashed national child care, even privileged women, torn between their underpaid work and their kids, are overwhelmed. Things happened very differently in Norway. Compare vs for Submit. Based on contributions for Afghanistan, Aland Islands, Andorra and 81 more countries and contributions for Albania, Algeria, Armenia and 19 more countries and over contributions for Argentina, Australia, Austria and 82 more countries.
The surveys were conducted by numbeo. Prices in current USD. Local purchasing power : Local Purchasing Power shows relative purchasing power in buying goods and services in a given city for the average wage in that city. Respondents were asked about the price of a Pack of Cigarettes Marlboro. See this sample survey for the United States , respondents were asked about the prize of a dozen eggs. Respondents were asked about the price of a Loaf of Fresh White Bread g. Respondents were asked about the price of 1 liter of regular Milk.
Respondents were asked about the price of 1 kg of White Rice. Respondents were asked about the price of a bottle of water 1. See this sample survey for the United States , respondents were asked "Apartment 3 bedrooms in City Centre". See this sample survey for the United States , respondents were asked "Volkswagen Golf 1. Respondents were asked about the price of 1 kg of Chicken Breasts Boneless, Skinless.
To calculate this section, Numbeo uses the "Markets" section of each city. See this sample survey for the United States , respondents were asked "Apartment 1 bedroom in City Centre". Respondents were asked about the price of 1 kg of apples. Respondents were asked about the price of 1 kg of potatoes. There are several chapters of material, vocabulary, exams, listening exercises, grammar and other useful tools.
The downside is that without a personal instructor, your learning pace may be a bit slower. The Norwegian Folk University offers language courses from beginner to intermediate and advanced for a variety of different purposes and skills. These are in-person classroom type lessons with instructors. Simply select your location, find the course appropriate for you, sign up and begin attending classes on your chosen start date at the location given.
If you want to find out which course is right for you, you can take this online self-assesment exam , which I highly recommend. Get out there and start doing whatever it takes to learn quickly. It will pay dividends in the long-run. However, the disparities in income are also much smaller than in most parts of the world. In the US, everything you need is expensive and everything you want is cheap.
A recent report shows that Norway has the second highest prices of food in Europe and the absolute highest prices for alcohol and tobacco. Norwegians commonly travel across the border to Sweden for things like candy, alcohol and tobacco or to other countries, such as the US, to purchase luxury items. Nonetheless, some things, such as frozen salmon are usually as cheap as about a dollar per filet.
I believe that I spend about the same in a month here on groceries as I did while living in the USA but my food selection is much more limited also. Likewise, for most people who really enjoy dining out or other things, there always seems to be room in the budget somehow.
Expensive food with a limited selection in most stores is definitely a downside to living here sometimes. Summary: Yes, Norway is very expensive. However, the pay is generally quite good and the income inequality is much lower than in most countries.
It is not at all hard to get by on an average wage but you will likely have to be a bit more careful with how many nights a week you go out partying.
I consider myself a pretty friendly guy… I talk to random strangers, sit next to people even when there are open seats on the bus and I pretty much always have an easy time making friends.
It is a very conservative culture in social settings. I also work at an awesome startup which easily netted me 16 new close companions.
So, I would definitely say that making friends here has been harder. Katrine and I try at least once a month to invite everyone over for a barbecue, camping trip, game night or whatever else we can come up with but we usually invite about 20 and end up with 4.
However, the friends that I have made are really great people of incredible quality and character. So, what more could you really ask for? Be outgoing, fun and spontaneous. Be kind, be genuine, share a smile, laugh a lot and it will all work itself out. Bonus points if you like to ski, because that makes it much easier. Coming from warm and sunny California to Norway has been a bit of a change in terms of weather.
We get half a year of lots of sunshine and half a year with lots of darkness. The summers can be equally unpredictable with some very warm and sunny days and sometimes weeks at a time with nothing but rain and cold.
It seems like summer here never fully comes, it just kind of teases and then turns back into winter again. The cold, to be honest, is usually a good thing because it means snow.
Snow not only means skiing but it also means less darkness as the fresh white powder reflects light and creates a beautiful glow. In the US, I loooove to drink good beer. Well, in Norway it really does get expensive fast and although the craft brewing is on the rise here, the selection is still minimal.
In addition, it is not legal to sell alcohol above 4. Anything over that, you have to head to the vinmonopolet wine and liquor store. The prices there are pretty high as well but the selection is usually decent. My usual work-around is to pick up 3 liters of wine and a bottle of scotch at the duty free every time I take an international flight. On the upside, I drink much less beer in Norway and spend much less money on alcohol than I do in the states.
As for tobacco, smoking is relatively uncommon but snus smokeless tobacco is very common. Summary: Norway is the most expensive country in Europe to buy alcohol and tobacco.
I enjoy the slower pace of life and the focus on family and nature here. I miss the open social atmosphere, the warm weather, my truck, the beer and food selections, the diversity of people and landscape, being around my fellow Marines, and probably a handful of other things. Summary: I can certainly understand why many Americans miss the US after living in Norway but for me, the benefits far outweigh the costs.
He is an avid adventurer, backpacker, and volunteer with travel in over 40 countries. Dave moved from the USA to Norway in December to pursue a serious relationship with his beautiful Norwegian girlfriend.
Its fun to read your blog. Its nice to notice your down to earth way of describeing our almost on the northpool country! It had its downs and ups but as you say…its worth it! Yes it helps beeing a viking by birth but I like to read how you have worked us out. You will for sure find friebds for lige? Thanks Monica. Excellent read. You still owe me a cup of coffee. Hey Joe! If I decide to become a secondary school teacher in Norway, what qualifications should I have and what is the expected salary?
Hi Dave, enjoyed reading your blog. Very informative. You touched on just about everything I have been concerned about when considering making the move to Norway. I work for a French company out of their US operations. My wife has family in Norway. They run a successful business and she would be able to secure work with them. Would we both have to apply for work permits? The plan is to work for a few years then hopefully start a business.
Thanks for all the great information. Great blog! Very entertaining and incisive. I look forward to hearing more from you! Thanks Richard! I can imagine moving from sunny Perth to the UK has some drawbacks. That was a pretty good read indeed. My story could almost be in reverse to yours. Moved to the US to pursue a serious relationship with my then girlfriend, now wife back in Previous Norwegian military had a bicycle in Norway, now i own a truck…lol.
Miss hiking up into the mountains, fishing, and hunting, those long summer nights, former army buddies and family. I knew there had to be at least one mirror-image of this adventure somewhere. I miss my Marine buddies in the US a lot, but no complaints about all the wonderful nature up here.
Many Norwegians settled here back in the day when they immigrated, because it reminded them of home. Google Grand Marais, MN. Thanks for writing such a great post!
I hope the transition is smooth and easy for you. Some of my articles may provide helpful insight, I hope. Learning the language is definitely the biggest barrier to integrating and living in Norway. Like you said, the biggest problem is that you never have to speak it. The other big problem is understanding what people are saying. I had five different teachers during these courses and, as a former English as a foreign language teacher, I could see that there had been absolutely no preparation put into any of the classes which is bad enough for advanced level classes but just a complete waste of time for beginner level classes.
The first teacher I had used to switch between English and Norwegian mid sentence. With him he had an excuse since it was the first time he had taught an English class; normally he was a history teacher. Another used to spend most of the class explaining the difference between Norwegian dialects in English of course which, while it was interesting, was a complete waste of time for beginners who just needed to learn the basics. This is turning into a real bitch and moan but my last point is to do with the attitudes of some Norwegians towards foreigners speaking the language.
Well, that turned into a bit of a rant. Hey John, I know learning the language can be hard. I am so sorry for your bad experiance! Hi David, I really enjoyed your story, especially the part about the food and beer prices.
My story is opposite of yours. My husband and I lived in Norway for more than two years and I think our biggest complaint was the beer and food prices.
I also remember that my husband was never able to speak Norwegian at work, because all the young guys wanted to speak Norwegian. We live in Jupiter, Florida, but we visit Norway every year and my family comes here. I wish you and your girlfriend the best of luck. Looking forward to hear more about your adventures in Norway.
Hey Tove, congrats to you and your husband. Over 30 years of marriage is something to celebrate!!! Yes, I can live in Norway; vicariously through your blog! Keep it up, and thanks for sharing your experiences and thoughts.
But your blog seems to tie it all together. Again, thanks! I am curious as to if you are no longer a citizen of the US and now have citizenship in Norway. As an older person that will be retiring is it possible to move there to live without having a job and still get your social security from the US because I am sure that it you gave up your US citizenship your social security would stop.
Or would you have to leave Norway on a time basis and then return and not be considered a citizen of Norway. Hey Larry, I am still and will always be a US citizen. Man, I really miss my truck! I used to roadtrip all over the US, visiting national parks and such.
Hi David, Enjoy reading your blog! I am half Norwegian and I live in Pennsylvania. I was born here in PA but lived in Norway during summers. I still have family in Norway and we keep in touch and try to visit each other as often as possible. You are totally correct about the prices in Norway! They are horrendous! Linda Saylor Dougherty.
Hey Linda, having a father that was an original Darby Ranger is pretty badass. William O Darby is a legend, to say the least. Very cool. Hi Dave- my husband has been assigned to a project in Oslo and we are in the stages of making a decision about the move. We have a 2 month old and the biggest hurdle to taking the plunge is acclimating to Oslo with a little one.
Any feedback or recommendations would be greatly appreciated!!! Thanks Faustine! Norwegians are less socially outgoing than folks in the USA but are extremely friendly once you do break the ice. I wish you and your family all the best! Thank you so much, Dave! These blog entries and insights into everyday life abroad are so helpful. I am having a lot of apprehension to acclimating with a little one, especially in the winter!
We are from San Diego so understand that will be a bit of an adjustment. To be honest, winter my be the best time to move here. Mind to share your blog on my IG stories! Big hugs! Let me tell you, I moved to Norway and lived there for 5 years, learned the language a requirement all for the love of a woman. Take my advice — you will never get hired. Even though UDI approved my application, they checked me out in depth also through the Dept. I have all information with me which I brought home, I am from the USA and I went on line and came to many who complained about not being able to get job.
Dont count on it. Here is a comment from someone who moved to norway and was frustrated, this is what he says —. I used to follow an ex-pat job website for non-Norwegians living in Norway, and just about every week someone would post how they wanted to follow their sweetheart to Norway, this is what they did for a living, and could they find a job here?
And the response from the ex-pats, born of hard experience, was NO. The ugly truth behind this is that deep down Norwegian employers are extremely xenophobic. Not fluent? What a scary thought! But could it be true? The author writes from the perspective of a highly educated professional.
This is, after all, a blog mainly about seasonal work permits, perhaps later moving on to a Specialist permit, which is what I imagine he was in Norway on. Heard it, but chose not to put too much stock in it. Say, a technician working tech support. I speak Norwegian fluently, but I am not a Norwegian, nor will I ever be.
I do not know if Norwegian employers are xenophobic. Those who I have worked for were most certainly not, but for competetive professional positions, I cannot say that it is impossible to imagine a Norwegian employer favoring a Norwegian candidate over a foreign one, simply because they would feel more comfortable with one of their own. I have been loath to blame the employer for not hiring me.
I have applied for roughly 5 professional positions with NGOs in Norway that required post-secondary education. I recieved no calls, no responses from these organizations. Yes, it may be harder to get a job overseas, but one should expect that it would be harder.
I have run across xenophobic Norwegians. It has been offensive and unpleasant to be on the receiving end of their willful ignorance. It makes sense to me that I recieved many call-backs and offers from jobs in tourism. It is a sector in which xenophobia is very unlikely to be found. Who ever heard of the museum owner who hated foreigners, or the hotel that beat the competition by hiring only Norwegian speakers, and only published their website in Norwegian?
It is forbidden. This is how it works:. Mary sets me up with Bob who has work to be done that would take about 2 weeks to finish. Let me ask you….. You tell me. Just wait until if this goes public, and the Muslims find out they were taken for a ride….
Never rip off a Muslim. They said yes…. Yes they are very naive. I got away with it….. I can go on and on with cases of different people, not part of the EU, having it hard to get hired. Think of that….
I will expose the phonies…. I knew how to dig…. I found a job here within 6 months. Good luck! I have not found a job after 1 year and tons of resumes submitted directly to companies, and all from jobs that I found via friends, as well as networking. He could pass for a Norwegian. He is young. Age discrimination is rampant in Norway. He worked extra hard at networking and again, age played a factor. I want to tell job seekers, you are wasting your time with NAV because they are mostly going to find jobs for refugees since the government is paying for them.
You are NOT going to easily, if at all, find a job as a non EU immigrant who came here for a family reunion visa unless you want to be vastly underemployed. Smaller cities are extremely cliquey and only hire people they know through their network in town. They have done much to help me find a job, including my husband who I had to practically beg to translate my CV for me, my in laws are pensioners and also have no clue what I did for a living in the USA.
I see many Norwegians here who are really lazy and unmotivated to do anything other than just get by and milk the system, or they rely on help from their families. One good way to meet people is through the Odd Fellows Lodges, they are hugely popular here in Norway and are for both men and women separate lodges for each and it is a great way to network but be prepared for gossip and drama that comes with clubs especially in small towns.
Learning Norwegian is absolutely essential if you want to live here and be taken seriously, classes are free for people older than 55, and not very expensive for those who have to pay. So very true! You hit the nail on the head John. I can relate to almost everything you say. Things here just dont feel right anymore and I know its not that im giving up.
Its just tough and almost seems impossible. Especially with the language barrier and social norms. I am not going to apply for small jobs here in Norway. Learning the language has been tough for me as well. My Norwegian husband is doing just fine in his professional job. But what about poor little me? What am I to do? I almost cant seem to make friends in this country. Let alone, I feel like I cant breathe in such a small town Tonsberg.
The people here are too snobby and withdrawn for me. As an American woman, who also happens to have parents from an South Asian background, I know for a fact, that finding a job will be really tough for me. Its better that I pack my bags and move back home to the USA.
Living here in Norway has made me realize that I need to be selfish with myself. Im still young and I dont have time to play games. Need to further my education, even if itll be costly. Need to work on myself, because I know I wont find true contentment here. Thank you for your truthful comment. Wow, there is almost identical experiences. I suggest you come back to the states, if possible bring your Norwegian husband….
Your husband must know someone who can hire you? Hi sara. As a Norwegian I am truly sorry to hear about your experiances. I know Norwegians are cold on the outside, but we are socially very clumsy with feelings and reserved and shy, but beneath it I can guarantee you lots of us have warm gooey fluff on the inside. What do you like? Do you have any hobbies? Well said John! Yes I agree, they are so snobbish. All they do is TAKE from us but never give….
Rene de voure: Prepare for rain! And lots of it! I lived in Bergen for 5 years. First three weeks were so lovely in summertime, sunshine and warm weather. I started wondering what all the fuss was about Bergen being the rain capitol of Norway.. Fun fact: its actually a place called Brekke that holds the record: They celebrated And then it started to rain…. But, its an amazing city, charming, lovely mountains, quaint old buildings, artsy, and fun Dress for every weather with layers, wool is your best friend in winter and never invest in an umbrella.
It rains sideways and the wind wrecks it to pieces in no time. Wrecked umbrellas on the street is not uncommon to see.. Hello Dave.
I really loved your blog! Most of the blogs I have read seemed to have a Norwegian partner. Just kinda wanted to see your view on that I guess. Also, Semper Fi! Hi Farn.
Finding a job in Norway can be very difficult, especially if you do not speak norsk. So, yes, you should save up enough money to survive for months without income.
You could get by with less if you want to eat rice and beans. Best of luck! No one can become fluent in Norsk overnight, it takes a lifetime to learn it…. I am pretty good in Norsk, but still they would not give me a job, because I am an Immigrant.
This is deception at best. John, If you are moving to a country where English is NOT the first language and you are complaining about having to learn that primary language then why did you move to Norway in the first place? Well said! He also seems to have something of a chip on his shoulder. Welsh and English have equal legal status here, but obviously it is English that is in the more powerful position culturally by far.
But as you said, unless a person is prepared to respect the linguistic and cultural uniqueness of a country, they should very carefully consider why they want to move there. Hi Dave, Absolutely agree with everything you say! Spot on! Love your attitude and thanks for sharing. Will need you Californian sunshine especially in November…. Hi Dave. Interesting read. Thanks Ulf. This is very good advice.
Hi there. I did read this blog and its fun to read answerswith quite difference experiences. I live myself in Sweden from We both with my wife origin from East Europe. We lived in UK before moving to Sweden.
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