Labour participation; key figures, 2003-2022

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Labour participation; key figures, 2003-2022
Sex Age Highest educational level Periods Labour force Employed labour force Professional status Employee Flexible employee (x 1 000)
Total male and female 15 to 74 years Total 2022 1st quarter 2,630
Total male and female 15 to 74 years 1 Lower education 2022 1st quarter 734
Total male and female 15 to 74 years 2 Intermediate education 2022 1st quarter 1,038
Total male and female 15 to 74 years 3 Higher education 2022 1st quarter 843
Total male and female 15 to 74 years Unknown 2022 1st quarter 14
Total male and female 15 to 24 years Total 2022 1st quarter 1,207
Total male and female 15 to 24 years 1 Lower education 2022 1st quarter 507
Total male and female 15 to 24 years 2 Intermediate education 2022 1st quarter 536
Total male and female 15 to 24 years 3 Higher education 2022 1st quarter 163
Total male and female 15 to 24 years Unknown 2022 1st quarter 1
Total male and female 15 to 64 years Total 2022 1st quarter 2,561
Total male and female 15 to 64 years 1 Lower education 2022 1st quarter 716
Total male and female 15 to 64 years 2 Intermediate education 2022 1st quarter 1,009
Total male and female 15 to 64 years 3 Higher education 2022 1st quarter 822
Total male and female 15 to 64 years Unknown 2022 1st quarter 14
Total male and female 25 to 44 years Total 2022 1st quarter 925
Total male and female 25 to 44 years 1 Lower education 2022 1st quarter 97
Total male and female 25 to 44 years 2 Intermediate education 2022 1st quarter 295
Total male and female 25 to 44 years 3 Higher education 2022 1st quarter 525
Total male and female 25 to 44 years Unknown 2022 1st quarter 8
Total male and female 25 to 34 years Total 2022 1st quarter 622
Total male and female 25 to 34 years 1 Lower education 2022 1st quarter 48
Total male and female 25 to 34 years 2 Intermediate education 2022 1st quarter 193
Total male and female 25 to 34 years 3 Higher education 2022 1st quarter 377
Total male and female 25 to 34 years Unknown 2022 1st quarter 4
Total male and female 35 to 44 years Total 2022 1st quarter 302
Total male and female 35 to 44 years 1 Lower education 2022 1st quarter 49
Total male and female 35 to 44 years 2 Intermediate education 2022 1st quarter 102
Total male and female 35 to 44 years 3 Higher education 2022 1st quarter 148
Total male and female 35 to 44 years Unknown 2022 1st quarter 4
Total male and female 45 to 54 years Total 2022 1st quarter 250
Total male and female 45 to 54 years 1 Lower education 2022 1st quarter 58
Total male and female 45 to 54 years 2 Intermediate education 2022 1st quarter 98
Total male and female 45 to 54 years 3 Higher education 2022 1st quarter 91
Total male and female 45 to 54 years Unknown 2022 1st quarter 2
Total male and female 45 to 64 years Total 2022 1st quarter 429
Total male and female 45 to 64 years 1 Lower education 2022 1st quarter 112
Total male and female 45 to 64 years 2 Intermediate education 2022 1st quarter 179
Total male and female 45 to 64 years 3 Higher education 2022 1st quarter 134
Total male and female 45 to 64 years Unknown 2022 1st quarter 4
Total male and female 45 to 74 years Total 2022 1st quarter 498
Total male and female 45 to 74 years 1 Lower education 2022 1st quarter 130
Total male and female 45 to 74 years 2 Intermediate education 2022 1st quarter 208
Total male and female 45 to 74 years 3 Higher education 2022 1st quarter 155
Total male and female 45 to 74 years Unknown 2022 1st quarter 5
Total male and female 55 to 64 years Total 2022 1st quarter 179
Total male and female 55 to 64 years 1 Lower education 2022 1st quarter 53
Total male and female 55 to 64 years 2 Intermediate education 2022 1st quarter 81
Total male and female 55 to 64 years 3 Higher education 2022 1st quarter 43
Total male and female 55 to 64 years Unknown 2022 1st quarter 2
Total male and female 65 to 74 years Total 2022 1st quarter 69
Total male and female 65 to 74 years 1 Lower education 2022 1st quarter 19
Total male and female 65 to 74 years 2 Intermediate education 2022 1st quarter 29
Total male and female 65 to 74 years 3 Higher education 2022 1st quarter 21
Total male and female 65 to 74 years Unknown 2022 1st quarter 0
Total male and female 15 to 19 years Total 2022 1st quarter 607
Total male and female 15 to 19 years 1 Lower education 2022 1st quarter 436
Total male and female 15 to 19 years 2 Intermediate education 2022 1st quarter 166
Total male and female 15 to 19 years 3 Higher education 2022 1st quarter 4
Total male and female 15 to 19 years Unknown 2022 1st quarter 1
Total male and female 20 to 24 years Total 2022 1st quarter 600
Total male and female 20 to 24 years 1 Lower education 2022 1st quarter 71
Total male and female 20 to 24 years 2 Intermediate education 2022 1st quarter 370
Total male and female 20 to 24 years 3 Higher education 2022 1st quarter 159
Total male and female 20 to 24 years Unknown 2022 1st quarter 0
Total male and female 25 to 29 years Total 2022 1st quarter 373
Total male and female 25 to 29 years 1 Lower education 2022 1st quarter 21
Total male and female 25 to 29 years 2 Intermediate education 2022 1st quarter 115
Total male and female 25 to 29 years 3 Higher education 2022 1st quarter 235
Total male and female 25 to 29 years Unknown 2022 1st quarter 2
Total male and female 30 to 34 years Total 2022 1st quarter 250
Total male and female 30 to 34 years 1 Lower education 2022 1st quarter 27
Total male and female 30 to 34 years 2 Intermediate education 2022 1st quarter 78
Total male and female 30 to 34 years 3 Higher education 2022 1st quarter 142
Total male and female 30 to 34 years Unknown 2022 1st quarter 2
Total male and female 35 to 39 years Total 2022 1st quarter 172
Total male and female 35 to 39 years 1 Lower education 2022 1st quarter 22
Total male and female 35 to 39 years 2 Intermediate education 2022 1st quarter 51
Total male and female 35 to 39 years 3 Higher education 2022 1st quarter 97
Total male and female 35 to 39 years Unknown 2022 1st quarter 2
Total male and female 40 to 44 years Total 2022 1st quarter 130
Total male and female 40 to 44 years 1 Lower education 2022 1st quarter 27
Total male and female 40 to 44 years 2 Intermediate education 2022 1st quarter 51
Total male and female 40 to 44 years 3 Higher education 2022 1st quarter 50
Total male and female 40 to 44 years Unknown 2022 1st quarter 2
Total male and female 45 to 49 years Total 2022 1st quarter 118
Total male and female 45 to 49 years 1 Lower education 2022 1st quarter 24
Total male and female 45 to 49 years 2 Intermediate education 2022 1st quarter 43
Total male and female 45 to 49 years 3 Higher education 2022 1st quarter 49
Total male and female 45 to 49 years Unknown 2022 1st quarter 1
Total male and female 50 to 54 years Total 2022 1st quarter 132
Total male and female 50 to 54 years 1 Lower education 2022 1st quarter 34
Total male and female 50 to 54 years 2 Intermediate education 2022 1st quarter 55
Total male and female 50 to 54 years 3 Higher education 2022 1st quarter 41
Total male and female 50 to 54 years Unknown 2022 1st quarter 2
Total male and female 55 to 59 years Total 2022 1st quarter 108
Total male and female 55 to 59 years 1 Lower education 2022 1st quarter 29
Total male and female 55 to 59 years 2 Intermediate education 2022 1st quarter 49
Total male and female 55 to 59 years 3 Higher education 2022 1st quarter 28
Total male and female 55 to 59 years Unknown 2022 1st quarter 2
Source: CBS.
Explanation of symbols

Dataset is not available.


This table contains quarterly and yearly figures on labour participation in the Netherlands. The population of 15 to 74 years of age (excluding the institutionalized population) is divided into the employed labour force, the unemployed labour force and those not in the labour force. The employed labour force is subdivided on the basis of the professional status, and the average working hours. A division by sex, age and level of education is available.

Due to changes in the survey design and the questionnaire of the Labour Force Survey (LFS), a revision of the figures for 2021 was carried out in the first quarter of 2022.
As a result, the numbers of 2021 and later will not be comparable to the years 2003-2020.

Data available from: 2003-2022

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

Changes as of Januariy 16, 2023:
The periods were still indicated in Dutch. That has been converted to English.

Changes as of August 17, 2022:
None, the table has been discontinued.

When will new figures be released?
Not applicable. This table has been replaced, see paragraph 3 for a link to the new table.

Description topics

Labour force
People
- who have paid work (employed labour force), or
- who don’t have paid work, recently looked for work and are directly available for it (unemployed labour force).

This definition concerns people who live in the Netherlands (excluding the institutionalized population). The figures are usually presented for the population aged 15 to 74 years old. Paid work is regardless of the hours worked.
Employed labour force
People who have paid work.

This definition concerns people who live in the Netherlands (excluding the institutionalized population). The figures are usually presented for the population aged 15 to 74 years old. Paid work is regardless of the hours worked.
Professional status
Classification of the employed labour force into:
Employee
-  permanent
-  flexible
Self-employed
-  without employees (solo self-employed)
-  with employees
-  contributing family worker

When a person has more than one job, the job in which most hours are worked, is used.
Employee
A person who makes arrangements in a collective agreement for labour purposes and who is being paid in return.

When a person has more than one job, the job in which most hours are worked, is used.

Flexible employee
An employee with an employment contract for a limited period or a flexible number of hours. Enclosed here are: - Temporary employee, permanent prospect - Temporary employee, >=1 year - Temporary employee, <1 year - On-call worker (including permanent and temporary employees with flexible hours) - Temporary agency worker - Employee flex, contract unknown.

When a person has more than one job, the job in which most hours are worked, is used.