According to figures from According to Statistics Greenland, there are currently 217 jobseekers in Tasiilaq, which has 1,811 inhabitants.
The unemployment figure was 218 at the end of 2025, and was at its highest level compared to the previous year.
This serious problem was therefore brought up on the agenda in the municipal council in Kommuneqarfik Sermersooq recently.
In recent years, both Naalakkersuisut and Kommuneqarfik Sermersooq have made a great effort to promote business in East Greenland. This happened, among other things, by opening a fish factory in Tasiilaq last year and at the same time creating better opportunities for business development support and project funds for young people who want to enter the fishing industry.
But an attempt to create a long-term development plan for Tasiilaq has failed, says Justus Hansen, Demokraatit, who is a member of the municipal board and Inatsisartut.
Selects job search service
According to annex material distributed to the municipal council, there was a drop in unemployment over the summer months last year in connection with seasonal work. However, unemployment rose again in the fourth quarter.
In this connection, Majoriaq states that it has been very difficult to assign the unemployed to jobs, as the unemployed cannot be retained or motivated to continue working. This despite high demand for labour.
– Majoriaq Tasiilaq finds that the unemployed choose job search benefits over paid work, as the economy is better here. In addition, the consequence of refusing assigned work – half a month’s deducted benefit – is not sufficient motivation to take this work, says Majoriaq Tasiilaq.
The general view held by Majoriaq is that the unemployed’s motivation to register as unemployed is primarily due to wanting to be paid job search benefit. And that you don’t expect to get guidance to get back into the labor market or start an education.
Strengthening of Majoriaq
In 2025, Kommuneqarfik Sermersooq has been characterized by recurring challenges with the implementation of the IT system used for the administration of public assistance and job search services. The work for employees in Majoriaq’s labor market area consisted of the payment of job search benefits in the first six months of 2025. This has come at the expense of the efforts, such as clarification procedures, work capacity assessments, action plans and motivation and guidance procedures, which are to create better conditions for getting the unemployed onto the labor market.
When it became clear that the challenges with the IT system were persistent, Job and Social Service in the municipality chose to shift the focus to preparing work capacity assessments so that the unemployed can find employment more quickly.
In June 2025, Majoriaq throughout the municipality began to prepare clarification procedures, and then started individual interviews with a view to preparing work capacity assessments for all unemployed persons.
It also emerged from the information that Majoriaq – in the efforts to overcome the problem – must specifically provide outreach guidance for young people between the ages of 18-30 who are neither in work, education nor registered as unemployed.
Majoriaq states that it will resume taking care of the core tasks, which is expected to lead to a decrease in unemployment.
– This will be done by hiring four extra employees for Majoriaq, who will primarily be responsible for the tasks of ensuring correct payment of job search services in all cities, says Majoriaq.
A sad development
The long-standing politician Justus Hansen, Demkokraatit, who himself lives in Tasiilaq, believes that the situation has taken a sad turn.
– The difference between paid work and job search benefit and the benefits that come with it, such as housing insurance, child allowance and more, is obviously not big enough for people to choose to work.
– It is a huge challenge, not only in Tasiilaq, but also in many other places in Greenland.
– It is a sad development that you do not have the pride that you can feed yourself and your family. I believe that an attempt to create a long-term development plan for Tasiilaq has unfortunately failed in certain areas, he says.
Justus Hansen believes that the public sector cannot continue to be the largest employer, and that Kommuneqarfik Sermersooq has therefore initiated several measures to reduce the problem.
Stakes
According to Justus Hansen, Kommuneqarfik Sermersooq’s business department offers free courses for the so-called 12 pax courses, including in Tasiilaq, so that tourism can be started and local operators can apply for boats.
The 12-pax course, held in collaboration with the Danish Maritime Authority, gives permission to be a driver on vessels under 15 meters that sail with up to twelve passengers. The course costs DKK 38,500 per person and lasts one month.
– In the past two years, fortunately, there have also been many dinghy fishermen who have taken advantage of the opportunity to get support via the business support development, ESU, so that they can get started in fishing, he points out.
In Naalakkersuisut’s coalition agreement, it appears that the work to build airports in Tasiilaq and Ittoqqortoormiit must be started during this election period.
– We also really hope that Naalakkersuisut establishes a new airport in Tasiilaq, so that we can kickstart tourism and entrepreneurship. There is a need to require people who are able to work to come to work, he says.
Foreign cleaning staff
Applications for the employment or use of external labor ensure that qualified resident labor is given first priority for all positions. However, in cases where Majoriaq cannot assign labor to a vacant position, a municipal permit can be issued for the company to employ external labor.
– One of the saddest examples is that the municipality uses foreign labor because too many people do not want to accept a job.
– They have spent a year in vain looking for cleaning staff at the school. That is why it has been necessary to employ Filipinos as cleaning staff at the school, says Justus Hansen.
Royal Greenland’s fish factory in Tasiilaq is closed in winter, and does not open until June.
