Welfare numbers rise dramatically

Statistics, published by Statistics Netherlands, Friday, show a substantial increase in the number of people who had to apply for social security benefits in 2013. The increase was the largest since 2009, with 413,000 recipients by the end of December 2013.

The age group between 27 and 45 was the hardest hit, with an 11 percent increase. 33,000 people applied for social security in 2013, with 10,000 in the last quarter alone. In 2011 and 2012, that number was still 11,000 and 13,000 respectively. The spike is indicative of the poor situation on the labor market, with many people losing their jobs in 2013. The age groups younger than 27 and older than 45 averaged around 7 to 7.5 percent social security recipients.