ABSTRACT
A good match of supply and demand of work in any labour market is of importance to the overall economy and the quality of work. Therefore, knowledge concerning these two components is essential to policymakers and other stakeholders. This chapter aims to investigate the supply side of the Greenlandic labour force. The investigation includes a new quantitative measurement of employment and unemployment rates. Further, the chapter examines time spent at work and the satisfaction of work and length of time employed at one workplace. Finally, the chapter includes an examination of the self-employed in Greenland. The data stems from Greenland's first national Labour Force Survey, in which 1,000 Greenlanders participated. The methodology includes a standardised questionnaire allowing an international comparison of the results. Our results show a low unemployment rate, a high number of weekly working hours, and high job satisfaction. At the same time, the results show a surprisingly low seniority in Greenland and a fairly large share of the working population not part of the workforce, thus labelled as inactive. Regarding the self-employed, we find a homogeneous group consisting almost only of middle-aged males fishing from small open boats. We conclude our chapter by listing a number of key issues that need the attention of policymakers and other stakeholders in order to raise the quantity and quality of the labour supply.
