Unemployment rises to 4.1 percent, highest in four years

Unemployment in the Netherlands rose slightly to 4.1 percent in February, after remaining unchanged for five months, according to Statistics Netherlands. The rate had held at 4 percent from September through January, making this the highest level seen in four years.

February saw 416,000 people unemployed in the Netherlands, with the figure rising by an average of 3,000 per month over the last three months. Beyond this, 3.2 million individuals have either not recently sought work or were not readily available to take a job.

Statistics Netherlands does not count these individuals as part of the labor force. Most of them are retired or unable to work because of sickness or disability.

Even with a small increase in unemployment, the UWV reports that the number of WW benefits fell slightly by 0.1 percent in February, reaching 205,500. During the month, 22,200 new benefits were issued and 22,400 ended. Statistics Netherlands notes that, like in January 2026, the total remained just over 200,000.

WW benefit numbers differ widely across the country. Only Groningen and Drenthe saw declines compared with last year, falling by 1.7 percent and 2.8 percent, respectively.

The largest increases since February 2025 occurred in Zuid-Holland Centraal (up 18 percent), Haaglanden (up 16.6 percent), and Gorinchem (up 16.2 percent), with 13 of the 35 regions experiencing growth above 10 percent, according to the statistics bureau.