Economy, jobless figures improve: report

The NOS has received leaked data from the budget negotiations, the entire contents of which will be announced on Tuesday. This early leak concerns figures on projected joblessness and economic growth for next year, the NOS reports. According to the figures, unemployment will drop down to 605,000 people next year, according to estimates from the budget negotiations. Currently, unemployment in The Netherlands lies at around 650,000 people. Economic growth is projected at 1.25 percent next year. The NOS writes that a rise in purchasing power, after a steady five-year drop, will give people a little more money to play with. The budget deficit will drop further to 2.2 percent, according to the Central Bureau for Economic Policy Analysis (CPB). Last year, the projected budget deficit was still 3.3 percent.