The Norwegian krone was strong and the restaurant and service industry in Oslo in particular needed labor. This led thousands of young Swedes to seek their fortune in Norway during the years around 2010.
The group got the nickname "party Swedes" and earned well – even better than their Norwegian peers.
In the short term, it definitely paid off for this group, says Marianne Tønnessen, researcher at Oslomet University, to NRK.
However, returning home meant a salary drop compared to young people who stayed in Sweden, according to a study conducted by Tønnessen together with Andrea Monti at Stockholm University.
The income differences – around 20,000–40,000 kronor per year – remained throughout the entire studied period (up to six years).
According to the researchers, this may be due to the fact that those who moved to Norway started their studies later. The abroad job may, however, have brought other benefits than purely economic ones, notes Marianne Tønnessen.
They may have wanted to explore themselves and the world, not just earn money, she says to Oslomet's website.
