Norway social and youth welfare budget proposals

The Norwegian government has introduced several budget proposals aimed at addressing social challenges involving young people.

On September 25, the government proposed a 240 million NOK increase for employment measures, bringing the total annual allocation for labor-related initiatives to approximately 13 billion NOK. This funding targets youth unemployment, with specific earmarks for a work-oriented youth program, recruitment in the health and care sector, and the ‘Enklere Nav’ pilot in Trondheim. The administration stated a goal to bring 150,000 more people into the workforce by 2030.

Following this, on September 28, the government announced an 800 million NOK allocation to combat youth crime, which includes a 120 million NOK increase. This funding is intended to address criminal networks that use minors to avoid prosecution. Key measures include 45.6 million NOK for child welfare institutions to support legislative changes regarding the monitoring of electronic communications, 20 million NOK for the RISK model to prevent domestic violence, and 15 million NOK to improve follow-up for children in the Conflict Council.