The tourism industry added 3,800 new jobs in 2016, nearly half of the 8,400 new jobs created in 2016. Last year the tourism industry employed on average 13.4% of the workforce.
Figures from Statistics Iceland show that there were on average 180,100 employees in Iceland in 2016, an increase of 4.9% over 2015. The largest increase in the number of employees was in the tourism industry, where the number of employees grew by 18.4%. The tourism industry employed on average 24,200 people in 2016.
The tourism industry in Iceland has met this growth by hiring people from abroad. Business Iceland expects thousands of foreign workers will be needed in the next few years as the domestic labour market is unable to keep up with the growing economy.
Read more: Growth in tourism contributes four fifths of GDP growth in 2016, half of growth in 2017-19
Construction also added a significant number of jobs, or 15.6%. Other sectors of the economy added only a few percent. The largest decrease was in fisheries. Fisheries employed on average 9,400 people in 2016, compared to 9,700 people in 2015, a decrease of 3.2%
The average number of employers increased by 4% over the previous year.
The tourism industry added 3,800 new jobs in 2016, nearly half of the 8,400 new jobs created in 2016. Last year the tourism industry employed on average 13.4% of the workforce.
Figures from Statistics Iceland show that there were on average 180,100 employees in Iceland in 2016, an increase of 4.9% over 2015. The largest increase in the number of employees was in the tourism industry, where the number of employees grew by 18.4%. The tourism industry employed on average 24,200 people in 2016.
The tourism industry in Iceland has met this growth by hiring people from abroad. Business Iceland expects thousands of foreign workers will be needed in the next few years as the domestic labour market is unable to keep up with the growing economy.
Read more: Growth in tourism contributes four fifths of GDP growth in 2016, half of growth in 2017-19
Construction also added a significant number of jobs, or 15.6%. Other sectors of the economy added only a few percent. The largest decrease was in fisheries. Fisheries employed on average 9,400 people in 2016, compared to 9,700 people in 2015, a decrease of 3.2%
The average number of employers increased by 4% over the previous year.
