Business development in Arendal
How jobs have changed, where the municipality is exposed, and which industries are related to its strengths. The figures show relationships, not recommendations. Back to Arendal
Change in jobs 2020–2025
The number of jobs in Arendal changed by +2,019 (+9.9%) from 2020 to 2025, against +8.7% in Norway. The table splits the change in three parts.
| Part | Jobs | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| National growth | +1,776 | If every industry in the municipality had grown like jobs in Norway (+8.7%). |
| Industry mix | −8 | Added or lost because the municipality has many jobs in industries growing faster or slower than Norway. |
| Local conditions | +251 | The rest: the industries did better or worse here than the same industries in Norway. |
| Total change | +2,019 | From 20,318 to 22,337 jobs in the industries included. |
Industries that did better here than in Norway
| Industry (SN2007) | Change | Growth here | Growth in Norway |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spesialisert bygge- og anleggsvirksomhet 43 | +392 | +42% | +4% |
| Lufttransport 51 | +190 | – | +15% |
| Pleie- og omsorgstjenester i institusjon 87 | +255 | +22% | +6% |
| Produksjon av elektrisk utstyr 27 | +125 | +962% | +40% |
| Produksjon av datamaskiner og elektroniske og optiske produkter 26 | +255 | +52% | +29% |
Industries that did worse here than in Norway
| Industry (SN2007) | Change | Growth here | Growth in Norway |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sjøfart 50 | −173 | −54% | +3% |
| Helsetjenester 86 | +276 | +9% | +13% |
| Produksjon av maskiner og utstyr til generell bruk, ikke nevnt annet sted 28 | −103 | −61% | +10% |
| Landtransport og rørtransport 49 | −73 | −14% | +8% |
| Arbeidskrafttjenester 78 | −110 | −39% | −12% |
Employed persons by workplace and industry (SN2007, 2-digit), 4th quarter (SSB 13470). The tables are sorted by local conditions: the change beyond what national growth and the industry mix explain. 2 industries without figures in both years are left out.
How dependent is the municipality on a few industries?
- Share of jobs in the three largest industries
- 32%
- Median in the municipality group: 31%
- Industries with jobs
- 75
- Concentration (HHI, 0–10,000)
- 589
- Median in the municipality group: 593
Jobs are spread over industries about as in similar municipalities.
The largest company we follow with its business address in the municipality has 573 employees in the whole company: Kitron AS.
HHI is the sum of squared shares: a higher number means jobs are concentrated in fewer industries. Employees count the whole company, not only jobs in the municipality.
Strengths and related industries
The municipality has a larger share of jobs than Norway in: Produksjon av drikkevarer, Produksjon av papir og papirvarer, Trykking og reproduksjon av innspilte opptak, Produksjon av gummi- og plastprodukter, Produksjon av datamaskiner og elektroniske og optiske produkter, Produksjon av elektrisk utstyr, Produksjon av andre transportmidler, Annen industriproduksjon. and 14 more.
| Industry (SN2007) | Closeness to the municipality's strengths | Most related to |
|---|---|---|
| Sosiale omsorgstjenester uten botilbud 88 | 38% | Pleie- og omsorgstjenester i institusjon, Spesialisert bygge- og anleggsvirksomhet, Undervisning |
| Fiske, fangst og akvakultur 03 | 38% | Sjøfart, Pleie- og omsorgstjenester i institusjon, Undervisning |
| Skogbruk og tjenester tilknyttet skogbruk 02 | 36% | Handel med og reparasjon av motorvogner, Detaljhandel, unntatt med motorvogner, Annen personlig tjenesteyting |
| Overnattingsvirksomhet 55 | 36% | Detaljhandel, unntatt med motorvogner, Elektrisitets-, gass-, damp- og varmtvannsforsyning, Spesialisert bygge- og anleggsvirksomhet |
| Tjenester tilknyttet eiendomsdrift 81 | 36% | Spesialisert bygge- og anleggsvirksomhet, Detaljhandel, unntatt med motorvogner, Handel med og reparasjon av motorvogner |
Related industries often appear together with the municipality's strengths in other municipalities, are not a strength here, and grow in Norway. Closeness shows how much of what usually comes with the industry the municipality already has. It is a starting point for questions, not a recommendation.
The companies driving growth
- Nse Fagstillas AS +405 MNOK in revenue in 2025 (+180%)
- Oneco Infra AS +356 MNOK in revenue in 2025 (+72%)
- Kitron AS +304 MNOK in revenue in 2025 (+15%)
- Viking Life-Saving Equipment Norway AS +147 MNOK in revenue in 2025 (+10%)
- Traftec AS +120 MNOK in revenue in 2025 (+12%)
Companies in the sectors we follow, with their business address in the municipality, sorted by the increase in revenue from the year before (NOK accounts only).
Indications based on open data. Not advice. Methodology
Source: Statistics Norway (SSB), table 13470. CC BY 4.0. Company figures: our calculations from annual accounts (Brønnøysund Register Centre).