As a result of keen competition for loan customers, excessive optimism and problems in distinguishing between sound and unsound projects, risk may be underestimated during upturns. The labour market has few available resources. Registered unemployment has remained steady at about 2½ per cent since the beginning of 1998. Long-term unemployment is low, and spells of unemployment are generally brief. Unemployment has edged up in the last few months, primarily in Eastern Norway, while employment growth has been limited. In the aftermath of the terrorist attack on 11 September last year, the aviation and travel industries reported job cuts. Cutbacks have also been announced in the process industry. The guidelines for fiscal policy will stimulate activity because petroleum revenues will now be phased into the economy. According to the Government’s estimate, the guidelines imply an average increase in the use of petroleum revenues in the central government budget of about 0.4 per cent of mainland GDP each year from 2002 to 2010. The government budget that was approved for 2002 implies that the use of petroleum revenues will increase by 0.6 per cent of mainland GDP from 2001 to 2002. The guidelines for fiscal policy imply a substantial stimulus each year. The expansionary impetus varies considerably, and is greatest in the first few years. However, an unpredictable and more expansionary fiscal policy than that implied by the guidelines would have resulted in greater uncertainty. The guidelines provide a stable framework that contributes to reducing some of the uncertainty.
Over time, the size of the internationally exposed sector will be affected by the portion of petroleum revenues that is absorbed by the Norwegian economy but will be unaffected by monetary policy. Any  2  BIS Review 8/2002  appreciation of the krone may, nevertheless, affect the speed at which changes occur in the business sector. To maintain a balance in the Norwegian economy, the phasing in of petroleum revenues must be countered by a monetary policy stance that is tighter than it would otherwise have been. This may be accomplished through a higher interest rate, an appreciation of the krone, or both. On balance, we expect moderate growth in the mainland economy in the next two years. The projections for GDP growth that were presented in the October 2001 Inflation Report were approximately on a par with the growth potential of the economy. Household consumption and public spending are the main forces underpinning growth. Fixed investment and exports are restraining growth. Brisk growth in consumption is resulting in high demand for labour in public and private services. Low international growth and lower petroleum investment are curbing employment growth. A tight labour market is generating continued high growth in labour costs. An expansionary fiscal policy, growth in private consumption and a continued high rise in labour costs contribute to a high rise in prices for domestically produced goods and services. At the same time, we expect a temporary decline in prices for imported consumer goods.