Labour and social security

Fewer job vacancies

09-01-2012Economic monitor At the end of September 2011, there were 133 thousand job vacancies, i.e. 4 thousand fewer than at the end of June. The number of job vacancies had grown continuously over the five preceding quarters. Job vacancy figures are adjusted for seasonal variation.

Unemployment among people with a western and non-western background marginally up in 2011

03-02-2012Press release According to the latest figures 262 thousand native Dutch, 104 thousand residents with a non-western background and 52 thousand with a western background were seeking employment last year.

Unemployment almost unchanged

19-01-2012Press release According to the latest figures 456 thousand people in the Netherlands were registered as unemployed (5.8 percent of the labour force) in December last year, as many as in November.

Average retirement age employees more than 63 years

18-01-2012Web magazine The average retirement age of employees had risen to more than 63 years in 2011.

Modest rise again for collectively agreed wages in 2011

10-01-2012Web magazine The increase in collectively negotiated wage rates was again modest in 2011. Just as in 2010, wages rose by 1.3 percent on average.

Employment opportunities social security recipients vary considerably by municipality

10-01-2012Web magazine Nearly 30 thousand persons living on social security benefits by the end of 2009 managed to find jobs in 2010, i.e. 9 percent of social security recipients. In the category municipalities with 100 thousand or more residents, Zaanstad and Zoetermeer performed above average, but in Amsterdam and Utrecht, the results were below average.