Labour force; main figures by sex and other characteristics 2000-2014

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Sex Personal characteristics Labour force acc.to internat. definition Gross labour participation (%) Labour force acc.to internat. definition Net labour participation (%) Labour force acc.to internat. definition Unemployment as a percentage (%) Labour force acc.to internat. definition Position on the labour market Total labour force acc.to internat. def. (x 1 000) Labour force acc.to internat. definition Position on the labour market Emp. labour force acc. to internat. def. (x 1 000) Labour force acc.to internat. definition Position on the labour market Unemp. labour force acc.to internat.def. (x 1 000) Labour force acc.to internat. definition Position on the labour market People not included in the labour force (x 1 000)
Total sex Total personal characteristics 65.2 60.8 6.7 8,965 8,365 600 4,788
15-25 yrs 70.0 62.3 11.0 1,429 1,271 157 611
25-35 yrs 88.6 82.8 6.6 1,807 1,689 119 232
35-45 yrs 88.2 83.2 5.7 1,998 1,884 113 268
45-55 yrs 85.9 81.3 5.3 2,160 2,046 114 355
55-65 yrs 64.1 60.1 6.3 1,381 1,294 87 773
65-75 yrs 10.6 10.0 5.7 172 162 10 1,453
75 yrs and older 1.7 1.7 . 19 19 . 1,096
15 - 20 yrs 60.9 52.4 14.0 601 517 84 385
20 - 25 yrs 78.6 71.6 8.8 828 754 73 226
25 - 30 yrs 88.0 81.7 7.2 908 843 66 123
30 - 35 yrs 89.2 84.0 5.9 899 846 53 108
35 - 40 yrs 88.9 83.6 5.9 906 853 53 114
40 - 45 yrs 87.6 82.8 5.5 1,091 1,031 60 154
45 - 50 yrs 87.2 82.7 5.1 1,117 1,060 57 164
50 - 55 yrs 84.5 79.9 5.5 1,043 986 57 192
55 - 60 yrs 76.7 71.9 6.3 855 801 53 260
60 - 65 yrs 50.6 47.4 6.4 526 492 33 513
65 - 70 yrs 13.8 13.1 5.6 132 125 7 823
70 - 75 yrs 5.9 5.5 6.0 39 37 2 630
75 yrs and older 1.7 1.7 . 19 19 . 1,096
Single person households 51.2 46.1 9.9 1,385 1,248 137 1,321
Partner in a couple (no children) 51.3 48.8 4.9 2,307 2,195 112 2,188
Partner in a couple with children 86.9 83.2 4.3 3,551 3,397 154 534
Single parent 71.7 64.6 9.9 328 296 32 129
Child aged >= 18 years 76.3 68.2 10.6 885 791 94 275
Child aged < 18 years 55.5 46.2 16.8 323 269 54 259
Other member household 69.3 63.2 8.8 185 169 16 82
Household position unknown . . . . . . .
Pre-primary education 32.9 28.3 14.0 59 51 8 121
Primary education 37.6 32.3 14.2 492 422 70 817
Lower secondary education 51.2 46.6 9.0 1,541 1,403 139 1,472
Upper secondary education 70.3 65.5 6.7 3,737 3,486 252 1,582
Post-secondary non-tertiary education 83.1 78.7 5.2 43 40 2 9
Tertiary education 81.1 77.9 3.9 2,882 2,769 113 671
Doctorate (PhD) 84.2 82.3 . 53 52 . 10
Level of education: unknown 59.7 53.8 9.9 158 142 16 107
Men Total personal characteristics 71.1 66.1 7.1 4,826 4,485 341 1,959
15-25 yrs 69.3 61.8 10.8 718 641 78 318
25-35 yrs 92.1 85.0 7.6 943 871 72 81
35-45 yrs 92.8 87.1 6.1 1,051 987 64 81
45-55 yrs 91.9 86.9 5.5 1,162 1,099 64 102
55-65 yrs 75.3 70.2 6.9 811 755 56 265
65-75 yrs 15.9 14.9 6.4 127 118 8 668
75 yrs and older 3.2 3.2 . 15 15 . 442
15 - 20 yrs 59.9 51.8 13.5 302 261 41 202
20 - 25 yrs 78.3 71.4 8.8 416 380 37 116
25 - 30 yrs 90.1 82.0 8.9 468 426 42 52
30 - 35 yrs 94.1 88.1 6.4 475 445 30 30
35 - 40 yrs 93.5 87.5 6.4 476 445 31 33
40 - 45 yrs 92.3 86.9 5.9 575 542 34 48
45 - 50 yrs 92.5 87.8 5.1 597 567 30 48
50 - 55 yrs 91.3 85.9 5.9 565 532 33 54
55 - 60 yrs 86.5 80.8 6.7 482 450 32 75
60 - 65 yrs 63.3 58.8 7.2 329 305 24 190
65 - 70 yrs 20.3 19.1 6.0 96 90 6 377
70 - 75 yrs 9.5 8.8 7.8 31 28 2 291
75 yrs and older 3.2 3.2 . 15 15 . 442
Single person households 64.7 56.7 12.4 825 723 102 450
Partner in a couple (no children) 55.0 52.3 5.0 1,244 1,182 63 1,016
Partner in a couple with children 93.1 89.4 4.0 1,898 1,822 77 140
Single parent 78.3 72.0 8.0 65 60 5 18
Child aged >= 18 years 76.7 68.3 11.0 525 468 58 159
Child aged < 18 years 54.1 45.3 16.3 161 135 26 137
Other member household 73.7 66.4 9.9 107 96 11 38
Household position unknown . . . . . . .
Pre-primary education 46.7 40.4 13.7 34 30 5 39
Primary education 50.4 43.1 14.5 288 246 42 283
Lower secondary education 62.6 56.8 9.3 854 775 79 509
Upper secondary education 73.8 68.6 7.0 1,997 1,857 139 710
Post-secondary non-tertiary education 84.5 79.3 . 23 22 . 4
Tertiary education 80.6 77.2 4.3 1,503 1,439 65 361
Doctorate (PhD) 81.2 79.5 . 36 35 . 8
Level of education: unknown 67.7 60.5 10.6 91 81 10 43
Women Total personal characteristics 59.4 55.7 6.3 4,139 3,880 259 2,829
15-25 yrs 70.8 62.8 11.2 710 631 80 293
25-35 yrs 85.2 80.6 5.4 865 818 47 151
35-45 yrs 83.5 79.2 5.2 946 898 49 186
45-55 yrs 79.8 75.7 5.1 998 948 51 253
55-65 yrs 52.9 50.0 5.5 570 539 31 507
65-75 yrs 5.4 5.2 3.6 45 43 2 784
75 yrs and older 0.6 0.6 . 4 4 . 654
15 - 20 yrs 62.0 53.0 14.5 299 256 43 183
20 - 25 yrs 78.9 71.9 8.8 411 375 36 110
25 - 30 yrs 86.0 81.3 5.4 440 416 24 72
30 - 35 yrs 84.3 79.8 5.4 424 402 23 79
35 - 40 yrs 84.3 79.8 5.3 430 408 23 80
40 - 45 yrs 82.9 78.8 5.1 516 490 26 106
45 - 50 yrs 81.8 77.6 5.2 520 493 27 116
50 - 55 yrs 77.7 73.8 5.0 478 454 24 138
55 - 60 yrs 66.9 63.1 5.7 373 352 21 185
60 - 65 yrs 37.9 36.0 5.0 197 187 10 323
65 - 70 yrs 7.5 7.2 4.5 36 35 2 446
70 - 75 yrs 2.5 2.5 . 9 9 . 339
75 yrs and older 0.6 0.6 . 4 4 . 654
Single person households 39.1 36.7 6.2 560 525 35 871
Partner in a couple (no children) 47.6 45.4 4.6 1,063 1,014 49 1,171
Partner in a couple with children 80.8 77.0 4.7 1,652 1,575 78 394
Single parent 70.3 63.0 10.4 263 236 27 111
Child aged >= 18 years 75.6 68.0 10.0 360 324 36 116
Source: cbs.
Explanation of symbols

Table explanation


In this table you can find yearly figures about the composition of the Dutch labour force according to the international definition.

The Dutch definition of the labour force deviates from the international standard of the International Labour Organisation (ILO). Because of this the size and composition of the labour force differs. Firstly for the Dutch definition a threshold value of twelve hours is used for the number of hours a person wants to work in a week. For the international definition this is not the case. Secondly the unemployed population is defined differently.
According to the international definition someone must be able to start working within two weeks. For the Dutch definition in some cases a term of three months is used when someone can start working or actively search for work.

Data available from 2000 to2013.

Status of the figures:
The figures in this table are definite.

Changes as of 26 February 2015:
None, this table was stopped.

Changes as of 1 April 2014:
The figures on 2013 were added to this table. All figures on occupation for 2012 and 2013 are not available yet. As soon as these figures are available they will be added to this table. The figures on the level of education for 2012 onwards are provisional.

When will new figures be published?
This table is stopped. The update of 1 April 2014 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

Labour force acc.to internat. definition
Labour force according to the international definition.
The Dutch definition of the labour force deviates from the international
definition as given by the International Labour Organisation (ILO), and
therefore gives different results. Firstly, according to the Dutch
definition only persons willing to work at least twelve hours a week are
taken into account. Secondly, the definitions of labour force vary. The
international definition requires prompt (within two weeks) availability
for the labour market. According to the Dutch definition a period of three
months is allowed.
Position on the labour market
The population of 15 years and older can be classified as follows.
- employed labour force.
- unemployed labour force.
- persons not included in the labour force.
Total labour force acc.to internat. def.
Total labour force according to the international definition.
Emp. labour force acc. to internat. def.
Employed population according to the international definition.
Persons working at least 1 hour a week.
Unemp. labour force acc.to internat.def.
Unemployed labour force according to the international definition.
People not included in the labour force
Persons not included in the labour force.
Gross labour participation
Labour force as a percentage of the total population.
Net labour participation
Employed labour force as a percentage of the total population.
Unemployment as a percentage
Unemployed labour force as a percentage of the total labour force.