Register-based employment has decreased every quarter of 2020 compared with the same period in 2019. In the third quarter, register-based employment decreased by 5.5% compared with the same period in 2019, from 208,128 to 196,603 individuals. This is comparable with the decrease in second quarter, when the number fell from an average of 203,281 in 2019 to an average of 192,033 individuals in 2020 (or 5.5%). The decrease in the first quarter was 1.7%, from 195,572 individuals to 192,289.
A closer look on the third quarter shows a growing annual decrease by month. In 2019, register-based employment was 211,957 individuals in July, 209,299 in August and 203,128 in September. The decrease is 3.8% in July 2020, 5.0% in August and 8.0% in September compared with 203,965, 198,913 and 186,933 employed individuals for the same months in 2020. The attached map, based on statistical units from Statistics Iceland, shows these changes for Iceland’s capital region.
The most significant decrease in September can be seen in the Southwest area. In September 2019, 14,969 individuals worked in the Southwest area compared with 12,566 in September 2020, which is a decrease of 16.1%. The following line chart shows percentage changes between 2019 and 2020 by month and geographic region.
Changes to register-based employment in the capital area - map