Labour Force; level of education by personal characteristics 2001-2012

Labour Force; level of education by personal characteristics 2001-2012

Sex Age Ethnic background Level of education Field of education Periods Total population aged 15 to 65 years (x 1 000) Employed labour force aged 15 to 65 year (x 1 000) Unemployed labour force (x 1 000) Persons not included in the labour force (x 1 000)
Total men and women Total aged 15 to 65 years Total ethnic background Total level of education Total field of education 2012 10,992 7,387 507 3,098
Total men and women Total aged 15 to 65 years Total ethnic background Primary education Total field of education 2012 890 336 46 508
Total men and women Total aged 15 to 65 years Total ethnic background Vmbo, mbo1, avo onderbouw Total field of education 2012 2,453 1,253 126 1,074
Total men and women Total aged 15 to 65 years Total ethnic background Havo, vwo, mbo Total field of education 2012 4,432 3,136 210 1,086
Total men and women Total aged 15 to 65 years Total ethnic background Hbo, wo bachelor Total field of education 2012 2,035 1,664 77 294
Total men and women Total aged 15 to 65 years Total ethnic background WO masters, doctor Total field of education 2012 1,074 923 42 109
Total men and women Total aged 15 to 65 years Total ethnic background Unknown level of education Total field of education 2012 108 75 7 26
Source: CBS.
Explanation of symbols

Dataset is not available.


This table comprises yearly figures on different aspects of the labour force broken down by sex, ethnic background,
level of education and field of education.

Data available 2001-2012.

Status of the figures:
The figures on level of education for 2012 are provisional, the other figures are definite.

Changes as of July 15th 2015:
None, this table was stopped.

Changes as of December 16th 2013:
July 5th 2013, figures of 2012 are added to this table. Since the fourth quarter of 2012 the Dutch Labour Force Survey (LFS) started using web questionnaires. As a consequence the questions on field of education have changed. With these new questions only the international classification of field of education (ISCED) can be derived. In the fourth quarter of 2012 about a third of the respondents answered the new questions on field of education. Because of this the published figures about field of education of 2012, based on the national classification (SOI), contain relatively many unknowns. These 2012 figures have therefore been retracted.

Changes as of July 5th 2013:
Figures on 2012 are added to this table. As a consequence of changes in the questions on level of education, the figures on level of education for 2012 are provisional. Final figures are expected to be published in 2014.

When will new figures be published?
This table is stopped. The update of 5 July 2013 was the last update of this table. On 26 February 2015 new revised tables about the labour force have been published. The revision of the labour force statistics consists of two parts. The definitions will be adjusted to the international standard definitions and data collection is improved by using web interviewing. For more information about this revision, see the link to the press release in paragraph 3.

Description topics

Total population aged 15 to 65 years
Population aged 15 to 65 years living in the Netherlands,
excl. persons living in institutions or asylum.
Employed labour force aged 15 to 65 year
Persons working at least 12 hours a week.
Unemployed labour force
All persons unemployed or working less than 12 hours a week who have
accepted work and are going to work at least 12 hours a week or are
prepared to work at least 12 hours a week, who are available and actively
seeking work for at least 12 hours a week.
Persons not included in the labour force
Persons not included in the labour force.