Labour participation; key figures, 2003-2022

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Sex Age Labour force and not in the labour force (x 1 000) Labour force Labour force (x 1 000) Labour force Employed labour force Employed labour force (x 1 000) Labour force Employed labour force Professional status Employee Employee (x 1 000) Labour force Employed labour force Professional status Employee Permanent employee (x 1 000) Labour force Employed labour force Professional status Employee Flexible employee (x 1 000) Labour force Employed labour force Professional status Self-employed person Self-employed person (x 1 000) Labour force Employed labour force Professional status Self-employed person Self-employed without employees (x 1 000) Labour force Employed labour force Professional status Self-employed person Self-employed with employees (x 1 000) Labour force Employed labour force Professional status Self-employed person Contributing family worker (x 1 000)
Total male and female 15 to 74 years 4,883 3,742 3,614 3,071 2,033 1,038 543 401 126 16
15 to 24 years 943 787 735 697 162 536 37 33 2 2
15 to 64 years 4,254 3,632 3,509 3,013 2,004 1,009 496 365 118 13
25 to 44 years 1,476 1,314 1,277 1,106 812 295 170 127 41 3
25 to 34 years 751 675 651 576 383 193 75 57 17 1
35 to 44 years 726 639 626 530 428 102 95 70 24 2
45 to 54 years 901 805 788 640 541 98 148 103 44 2
45 to 64 years 1,834 1,532 1,497 1,209 1,031 179 288 205 75 7
45 to 74 years 2,463 1,641 1,602 1,268 1,059 208 335 241 83 11
55 to 64 years 933 727 709 570 489 81 140 103 31 6
65 to 74 years 629 109 105 58 29 29 47 36 8 3
15 to 19 years 254 208 191 185 20 166 6 5 0 1
20 to 24 years 689 579 544 512 142 370 32 29 2 1
25 to 29 years 372 338 327 293 178 115 34 28 6 0
30 to 34 years 378 337 324 284 206 78 41 29 11 1
35 to 39 years 349 306 301 253 202 51 48 37 10 1
40 to 44 years 377 333 325 277 226 51 48 32 15 1
45 to 49 years 392 359 352 288 245 43 64 43 21 1
50 to 54 years 508 446 436 352 297 55 84 60 23 1
55 to 59 years 508 434 424 341 292 49 83 59 21 3
60 to 64 years 426 293 285 229 197 32 56 44 11 2
65 to 69 years 346 82 78 42 26 16 35 26 6 3
70 to 74 years 283 28 27 16 3 13 12 10 1 0
Male 15 to 74 years 2,473 1,968 1,907 1,547 1,050 497 360 256 96 7
15 to 24 years 478 393 369 343 86 257 26 23 1 2
15 to 64 years 2,139 1,894 1,835 1,512 1,035 478 323 229 89 5
25 to 44 years 771 719 701 590 444 146 111 79 31 1
25 to 34 years 408 381 367 317 215 101 50 36 13 1
35 to 44 years 362 339 334 273 228 45 61 42 18 0
45 to 54 years 434 401 393 294 255 38 99 66 33 0
45 to 64 years 890 782 766 580 505 75 186 127 57 2
45 to 74 years 1,224 856 837 615 520 95 222 154 64 4
55 to 64 years 456 381 373 286 249 37 87 61 24 1
65 to 74 years 334 74 71 35 15 20 37 27 7 3
15 to 19 years 122 97 90 86 11 75 4 3 0 1
20 to 24 years 356 296 279 257 75 182 22 20 1 1
25 to 29 years 205 189 182 159 94 64 23 19 4 0
30 to 34 years 204 191 185 158 121 37 27 18 9 1
35 to 39 years 177 167 165 135 111 24 30 23 7 0
40 to 44 years 185 172 169 139 118 21 31 20 11 0
45 to 49 years 191 179 176 132 115 18 44 27 16 0
50 to 54 years 243 222 217 161 141 21 55 39 17 0
55 to 59 years 245 218 213 163 144 19 51 33 16 1
60 to 64 years 212 163 159 123 106 18 36 28 8 0
65 to 69 years 179 54 52 23 14 9 28 20 6 3
70 to 74 years 155 20 20 11 1 10 8 7 1 0
Female 15 to 74 years 2,410 1,774 1,707 1,524 983 541 183 145 29 8
15 to 24 years 465 394 366 354 76 279 12 10 1 1
15 to 64 years 2,115 1,738 1,673 1,501 969 531 173 136 28 8
25 to 44 years 706 595 576 516 368 149 59 48 10 2
25 to 34 years 342 295 284 260 168 92 25 21 4 0
35 to 44 years 364 300 291 257 200 57 34 27 6 1
45 to 54 years 467 404 395 346 286 60 49 37 11 2
45 to 64 years 944 750 732 630 526 104 102 78 18 6
45 to 74 years 1,239 785 765 653 540 114 112 87 19 6
55 to 64 years 477 345 337 284 240 44 53 42 7 4
65 to 74 years 295 35 34 24 14 10 10 9 1 0
15 to 19 years 132 111 101 99 8 91 2 2 0 0
20 to 24 years 333 283 265 255 67 188 10 8 1 1
25 to 29 years 168 149 145 134 83 51 11 10 1 0
30 to 34 years 175 146 139 126 84 41 13 11 2 0
35 to 39 years 172 139 136 118 92 27 17 14 3 0
40 to 44 years 191 161 156 138 108 30 17 13 3 1
45 to 49 years 201 180 176 156 130 26 20 15 5 0
50 to 54 years 265 225 219 190 156 34 28 21 6 1
55 to 59 years 263 215 211 178 148 30 33 26 4 2
60 to 64 years 214 130 126 106 92 14 20 16 3 2
65 to 69 years 167 27 26 19 12 7 7 6 1 0
70 to 74 years 128 8 8 4 2 3 3 3 0 0
Source: CBS.
Explanation of symbols

Table explanation


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 till 2022.

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

Changes as of 20 May 2025
None, the table has been discontinued.

When will new figures be published?
Not applicable. The table is stopped.

Description topics

Labour force and not in the labour force
People who are part of the employed labour force, the unemployed labour force or who are not in the 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 75 years old. Paid work is regardless of the hours worked.

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.
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.
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.

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.

Permanent employee
An employee with an employment contract for an indefinite period and for a fixed number of hours.

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.
Self-employed person
A person who works for his/her own account and risk
-  in an own company or practice (self-employed entrepreneur), or
-  as an owner-manager, or
-  in the company or practice of a family member (contributing family worker), or
-  as another self-employed person (for example in an independent profession).

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

Self-employed person
A person who works for his/her own account and risk
-  in an own company or practice (self-employed entrepreneur), or
-  as an owner-manager, or
-  in the company or practice of a family member (contributing family worker), or
-  as another self-employed person (for example in an independent profession).

When a person has more than one job, the job in which most hours are worked, is used.
Self-employed without employees
A person who works for his/her own account and risk
-  in an own company or practice (self-employed entrepreneur), or
-  as an owner-manager, or
-  as another self-employed person (for example in an independent profession), and
-  who has no employees.

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

Self-employed with employees
A person who works for his/her own account and risk
-  in an own company or practice (self-employed entrepreneur), or
-  as an owner-manager, and
-  who has employees.

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

Contributing family worker
A person who works, not on the basis of a an explicit employment contract, in the company or practice of the partner or parents.

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