Unemployment rate unchanged at 3.6 percent in January

The unemployment rate in the Netherlands was unchanged compared to a month earlier. Around 3.6 percent of the working population was unemployed at the start of the year, numbers provided by Statistic Netherlands (CBS) show. The percentage was also 3.6 in December. The number of people on unemployment benefits did go up.

There were 368,000 people out of work in January. In total, 3.6 million people from 15 to 75 years of age did not have a paid job for differing reasons. In addition to the unemployed, there are also 3.2 million people who recently looked for work or were not directly available to work.

That group is still counted as part of the working population. It is mainly comprised of retired people who cannot work due to sickness or disabilities. On average, the number of people outside the labor force fell by 16,000 per month over the past three months.

The number of unemployed people has gone up by around 2,000 people monthly in the last few months. This light increase was not due to people losing their jobs, according to CBS, but because more people were looking for work. If these people do not find work instantly, they become a part of the unemployed labor force.

Only among 25 to 44-year-olds did the unemployment rate increase compared to three months earlier, from 2.9 percent in October 2023 to 3.1 percent in January 2024. Among young people aged 15 to 25, the unemployment rate fell from 8.4 to 8.2 percent in the same period. The lowest was unemployment among people over 45, where the rate remained unchanged at 2.2 percent.

Dutch benefits agency UWV provided 167,000 unemployment benefits in January, which was 6,300 more than in December, a rise of 3.9 percent. According to CBS, a surge is customary at the start of the year as many contracts expire at the end of the calendar year. There is also less work in sectors such as construction and agriculture during winter. The number of unemployment benefits increased in all age categories.