The latest data from the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS) reveals a decline in unemployment in the Netherlands during April 2023. The number of unemployed individuals between the ages of 15 and 75 decreased by 6,000 per month on average over the past three months. In total, there were 343,000 unemployed individuals, accounting for 3.4 percent of the labor force. At the same time, the number of employed individuals increased by an average of 9,000 per month, reaching 9.7 million people. This corresponds to a 73.1 percent employment rate among individuals in this age group. The findings are based on the CBS’s latest report on the labor force. Additionally, the Employee Insurance Agency (UWV) registered 156,000 active unemployment benefit claims by the end of April.
In April, there were 3.6 million individuals between the ages of 15 and 75 who did not have paid work for various reasons. In addition to the unemployed, this group includes 3.2 million people who had not recently searched for work and/or were not immediately available for employment. They are not considered part of the labor force and primarily consist of individuals who are retired or unable to work due to illness or disability. Between February and April, the number of individuals outside the labor force slightly decreased by an average of 2,000 per month.
The employed labor force reached 9.7 million individuals, with an increase of 9,000 per month. The number of unemployed individuals, according to the International Labour Organization (ILO) definition, stood at 343,000, with a monthly decrease of 6,000. The total labor force amounted to 10.1 million individuals, with a monthly increase of 3,000. Meanwhile, the non-labor force comprised 3.2 million individuals, showing a monthly decrease of 2,000. These figures reflect the trends in the labor market during April 2023.
The data indicates that unemployment rates were lowest among individuals aged 45 and older, reaching 2.1 percent, the lowest level since 2003. This translates to 87,000 unemployed individuals in this age group, marking the lowest number in twenty years. Among young people aged 15 to 25, the unemployment rate stood at 7.9 percent, which is typically the highest among all age groups. The lowest point in youth unemployment was reached in April of the previous year, with a rate of 6.9 percent. During April 2023, the unemployment rate for individuals aged 25 to 45 was 2.8 percent, compared to 2.5 percent in April 2022.
The report also highlights a decline in long-term unemployment, referring to individuals who have been searching for work for a year or longer. Long-term unemployment is more prevalent among individuals aged 45 and older. In the first quarter of 2023, 18 percent of the unemployed fell into this category, a significant drop from the 43 percent observed at the beginning of 2015. Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in the second quarter of 2020, there has been a notable increase in short-term unemployment and a corresponding decrease in long-term unemployment. However, since the end of 2021, the share of long-term unemployed has been declining again.
The UWV reported a decrease in the number of active unemployment benefit claims in April. By the end of the month, there were 156,000 such claims, representing a decrease of 1.2 percent compared to the previous month. During April, 18,700 unemployment benefit claims were terminated, while 16,800 new claims were submitted. Furthermore, 17