Dutch Jobless Rate Climbs to 4.1% as Labor Market Shows Signs of Strain
Unemployment in the Netherlands increased to 4.1 percent in February, marking its highest level in four years after remaining stable at 4 percent for the previous five months.
According to Statistics Netherlands (Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek – Dutch national statistics agency), around 416,000 people were unemployed in February. Over the past three months, the number of unemployed individuals has risen by an average of 3,000 per month, indicating a gradual upward trend.
In addition, approximately 3.2 million people are not considered part of the labor force (Arbeidsmarkt – labor market), as they are either not actively seeking work or are unavailable. This group mainly includes retirees and individuals unable to work due to illness or disability.
Despite the increase in unemployment, the number of WW benefits (Werkloosheidswet – unemployment benefits) slightly decreased by 0.1 percent, reaching 205,500 in February. During the month, 22,200 new benefits were issued while 22,400 benefits were terminated, keeping the total just above 200,000.
Regional differences remain significant, with Groningen and Drenthe being the only areas to record declines compared to last year. Meanwhile, the largest increases in benefit claims were reported in Zuid-Holland Centraal, Haaglanden, and Gorinchem, with several regions experiencing growth of over 10 percent.