Unemployment record

Over 600,000 people are unemployed in the Netherlands for the first time in nearly 30 years. According to the latest numbers of the Dutch Central Bureau of Statistics, Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek (CBS), unemployment increased sharply again in February to 7.7 percent. The total number of jobless people rose to 613,000 after the increase of 21,000 last month. In 1984 the unemployment number was the same, but because of the smaller workforce at that time the percentage was considerably higher. NRC economy section chief Jan Meeus said that although unemployment is high, it’s not higher than expected. The numbers are in line with the latest predictions of the CBS and the European figures. The CBS also reports that more men than women lost their job and that the chance of sitting at home is the highest in the Dutch province Flevoland, and the lowest in Zeeland.