Labour force; 1800-2013 (12-hours threshold)

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Sex Personal characteristics Labour force (x 1 000) Employed labour force Employed labour force (x 1 000) Employed labour force Professional prestige (index) Employed labour force Socio-economic status (index) Unemployed labour force (x 1 000) People not included in the labour force (x 1 000) Gross labour participation (%) Net labour participation (%)
Total sex Total personal characteristics 7,939 7,283 . . 656 3,074 72.1 66.1
Age 15 to 25 years 864 726 . . 137 1,176 42.3 35.6
Age 25 to 40 years 2,643 2,437 . . 207 416 86.4 79.7
Age 40 to 55 years 3,149 2,937 . . 212 612 83.7 78.1
Age 55 to 65 years 1,284 1,183 . . 100 870 59.6 55.0
Background: Netherlands 6,326 5,904 . . 422 2,227 74.0 69.0
Background: with migration background 1,601 1,368 . . 233 839 65.6 56.1
Background: western 770 692 . . 78 315 71.0 63.8
Background: non-western 831 677 . . 155 524 61.3 49.9
Background: unknown 12 11 . . . 8 62.2 55.0
Educ. level: primary 400 337 . . 63 573 41.1 34.6
Educ. level: vmbo, mbo1, avo 1,192 1,057 . . 135 919 56.5 50.1
Educ. level: havo, vwo, mbo 3,421 3,124 . . 297 1,123 75.3 68.8
Educ. level: hbo 1,726 1,633 . . 92 280 86.0 81.4
Educ. level: wo 1,059 1,009 . . 51 99 91.4 87.1
Educ level: unknown 141 123 . . 18 80 63.8 55.9
Men Total personal characteristics 4,354 3,999 . . 355 1,179 78.7 72.3
Age 15 to 25 years 440 374 . . 66 596 42.5 36.1
Age 25 to 40 years 1,402 1,284 . . 118 131 91.4 83.8
Age 40 to 55 years 1,730 1,621 . . 108 158 91.6 85.9
Age 55 to 65 years 782 720 . . 63 294 72.7 66.9
Background: Netherlands 3,475 3,246 . . 229 852 80.3 75.0
Background: with migration background 872 747 . . 125 323 72.9 62.5
Background: western 406 368 . . 38 115 78.0 70.7
Background: non-western 466 379 . . 88 209 69.1 56.1
Background: unknown . . . . . . . .
Educ. level: primary 250 211 . . 39 232 51.9 43.8
Educ. level: vmbo, mbo1, avo 697 623 . . 75 346 66.9 59.7
Educ. level: havo, vwo, mbo 1,865 1,709 . . 156 422 81.5 74.7
Educ. level: hbo 875 827 . . 48 109 89.0 84.1
Educ. level: wo 583 556 . . 27 40 93.6 89.2
Educ level: unknown 83 72 . . 11 31 73.1 63.8
Women Total personal characteristics 3,585 3,284 . . 301 1,895 65.4 59.9
Age 15 to 25 years 424 352 . . 71 580 42.2 35.1
Age 25 to 40 years 1,242 1,153 . . 89 284 81.4 75.5
Age 40 to 55 years 1,419 1,315 . . 104 454 75.7 70.2
Age 55 to 65 years 501 464 . . 37 576 46.5 43.0
Background: Netherlands 2,851 2,658 . . 193 1,375 67.5 62.9
Background: with migration background 729 622 . . 108 516 58.6 49.9
Background: western 364 324 . . 41 200 64.5 57.3
Background: non-western 365 298 . . 67 316 53.6 43.8
Background: unknown . . . . . . . .
Educ. level: primary 150 126 . . 24 341 30.6 25.6
Educ. level: vmbo, mbo1, avo 495 434 . . 61 574 46.3 40.6
Educ. level: havo, vwo, mbo 1,556 1,415 . . 141 701 69.0 62.7
Educ. level: hbo 851 806 . . 45 171 83.2 78.9
Educ. level: wo 476 452 . . 24 59 88.9 84.5
Educ level: unknown 58 51 . . 7 49 54.1 47.4
Source: CBS.
Explanation of symbols

Table explanation


In this table you can find a historical series of figures since 1800 on the composition of the Dutch labour force from 15-64 by sex and a few other personal characteristics. The data on the registered unemployed by ethnic background and level of education are only available from 1996 and onwards. The figures on professional prestige, socio-economic status and social class are only available from 1975 and onwards and only concern the total employed labour force. Until 1987 the definition of the employed labour force deviates somewhat from the current definition. It concerns people who work at least 15 hours a week instead of 12 hours a week.

Data available from 1800 including 2013.

Status of the figures:
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 are adjusted to the international standard definitions and data collection is improved by using web interviewing. The figures in this table haven’t been revised yet and thus differ from the figures in other tables concerning the labour force. For more information about this revision, see the link to the press release in paragraph 3.

Changes as of June 27, 2018:
None, this table has been discontinued.

When will new figures be published?
This table will no longer be updated. A new historical series of yearly figures on the labour force based on the international definition is made. See the link in paragraph 3.

Description topics

Labour force
The labour force includes everyone (15-64):
- with a paid job of at least twelve hours a week;
- who has accepted a paid job for at least twelve hours a week;
- who states they want to work for at least twelve hours a week, are
available to do so and are actively seeking such a job.
Employed labour force
Employed labour force
Dutch residents who have paid work for twelve hours a week or more.
Professional prestige
Professional prestige was determined by ascribing prestigescores to
descriptions of professions according to a scale that was developed by
Ultee and Sixma (1984) for the Netherlands. This scale varies from 13
points (for professions with low prestige) until 87 points (for
professions with high prestige). In this table the mean U&S prestigescore
was determined for the employed labour force.
Socio-economic status
Socio-economic status is determined by ascribing a score to a profession
according to the International Socio-Economic Index (ISEI) that was
developed by Ganzeboom, De Graaf en Treiman (1992). ISEI-scores are
calculated to reckon in the required level of education for professions
as well as the income and prestige of these professions. The scores can
vary from 0 to 100. In this table the mean ISEI-score was determined for
the employed labour force.
Unemployed labour force
People without work, or with less than twelve hours of paid work a week,
who are actively looking for paid work for twelve hours a week or more
and who are directly available for this job.
People not included in the labour force
The part of the potential labour force (15 to 65) that doesn't belong to
the labour force.
Gross labour participation
The share of the employed and unemployed labour force in the total
population.
Net labour participation
The share of the employed labour force in the total population.