Labour participation; young people

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Sex Age Formal Eduation 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 Unemployed labour force (x 1 000) Labour force Unemployment rate (%) Not in the labour force (x 1 000) Net labour participation rate (%)
Total male and female 15 to 24 years Total 2,169 1,807 1,648 160 8.8 362 76.0
In formal education 1,602 1,300 1,178 122 9.4 302 73.5
Not in formal education 567 508 470 37 7.4 59 82.9
15 to 19 years Total 1,008 797 712 85 10.7 211 70.6
In formal education 919 724 647 78 10.7 195 70.3
Not in formal education 89 73 65 8 10.6 16 73.5
20 to 24 years Total 1,161 1,010 936 74 7.4 151 80.6
In formal education 683 576 531 45 7.8 107 77.8
Not in formal education 478 435 405 30 6.8 44 84.7
15 years Total 196 133 112 22 16.2 63 57.0
In formal education 193 131 110 21 15.9 61 57.3
Not in formal education 4 2 1 1 . 2 .
16 years Total 198 156 137 19 11.9 43 69.2
In formal education 195 154 136 18 11.9 41 69.4
Not in formal education 3 2 1 0 . 1 .
17 years Total 198 161 145 16 10.0 37 73.2
In formal education 189 154 139 15 9.6 35 73.6
Not in formal education 9 7 6 1 . 2 .
18 years Total 203 171 156 14 8.5 33 76.8
In formal education 172 145 133 12 8.3 27 77.1
Not in formal education 31 26 24 2 9.5 5 75.1
19 years Total 213 177 163 15 8.2 36 76.3
In formal education 171 141 129 12 8.2 30 75.6
Not in formal education 42 36 33 3 8.2 6 79.0
20 years Total 223 189 173 16 8.4 33 77.9
In formal education 166 140 128 12 8.4 26 77.4
Not in formal education 57 49 45 4 8.3 8 79.3
21 years Total 230 199 185 13 6.7 32 80.5
In formal education 157 134 125 9 6.7 24 79.3
Not in formal education 73 65 61 4 6.6 8 83.2
22 years Total 234 203 187 16 7.7 31 79.9
In formal education 142 119 110 9 7.9 23 77.4
Not in formal education 93 84 78 6 7.5 9 83.7
23 years Total 234 206 192 14 6.9 28 81.9
In formal education 123 104 96 8 7.3 19 78.3
Not in formal education 111 102 95 7 6.5 9 85.9
24 years Total 239 213 198 15 7.2 26 82.6
In formal education 95 78 72 7 8.8 16 75.6
Not in formal education 145 135 126 8 6.2 10 87.1
Male 15 to 24 years Total 1,104 920 837 83 9.1 184 75.8
In formal education 806 650 585 64 9.9 157 72.6
Not in formal education 298 270 251 19 7.1 28 84.2
15 to 19 years Total 518 411 366 45 11.0 108 70.5
In formal education 467 367 327 40 10.9 100 70.1
Not in formal education 51 43 38 5 12.0 8 74.7
20 to 24 years Total 586 509 471 38 7.5 77 80.4
In formal education 339 282 258 24 8.6 57 76.1
Not in formal education 247 227 213 14 6.2 20 86.2
15 years Total 101 67 57 11 15.6 33 56.6
In formal education 98 66 56 10 15.0 32 57.2
Not in formal education 3 1 1 1 . 1 .
16 years Total 102 80 70 10 11.9 22 69.0
In formal education 101 79 70 9 12.0 22 69.1
Not in formal education 1 1 1 0 . 0 .
17 years Total 102 85 76 8 10.0 17 74.8
In formal education 97 80 72 8 9.6 16 75.0
Not in formal education 5 4 4 1 . 1 .
18 years Total 105 89 81 8 8.8 16 77.1
In formal education 87 73 67 6 8.5 14 76.9
Not in formal education 18 16 14 2 10.3 2 77.9
19 years Total 109 90 81 9 9.8 19 74.4
In formal education 85 69 63 7 9.7 16 73.4
Not in formal education 24 21 19 2 10.2 3 78.4
20 years Total 113 95 87 9 8.9 18 76.8
In formal education 80 66 60 6 9.4 14 75.0
Not in formal education 33 29 27 2 7.9 4 81.2
21 years Total 116 100 94 6 6.1 16 80.9
In formal education 75 63 59 4 6.3 12 78.6
Not in formal education 41 37 35 2 5.8 4 84.9
22 years Total 118 102 93 8 8.1 17 79.0
In formal education 71 58 53 5 9.0 13 74.8
Not in formal education 47 43 40 3 6.7 4 85.3
23 years Total 118 104 97 7 7.1 14 81.7
In formal education 63 53 48 4 8.5 10 76.6
Not in formal education 55 51 49 3 5.7 4 87.5
24 years Total 121 108 101 8 7.3 12 83.2
In formal education 50 42 38 4 10.0 8 75.5
Not in formal education 71 66 63 4 5.6 4 88.8
Female 15 to 24 years Total 1,065 888 811 76 8.6 177 76.2
In formal education 796 650 592 58 8.9 146 74.4
Not in formal education 269 237 219 18 7.7 32 81.5
15 to 19 years Total 490 387 347 40 10.4 103 70.7
In formal education 452 357 319 38 10.5 95 70.6
Not in formal education 38 30 27 3 8.5 8 71.9
20 to 24 years Total 575 501 465 36 7.2 74 80.8
In formal education 344 293 273 20 7.0 51 79.4
Not in formal education 231 207 192 16 7.6 23 83.0
15 years Total 95 66 55 11 16.8 30 57.3
In formal education 94 65 54 11 16.7 29 57.5
Not in formal education 1 1 0 0 . 0 .
16 years Total 96 76 67 9 12.0 20 69.4
In formal education 95 75 66 9 11.8 20 69.8
Not in formal education 2 1 1 0 . 1 .
17 years Total 96 76 68 8 10.0 20 71.4
In formal education 92 74 66 7 9.7 19 72.1
Not in formal education 4 2 2 0 . 1 .
18 years Total 98 82 75 7 8.1 17 76.5
In formal education 85 72 66 6 8.1 14 77.3
Not in formal education 13 10 9 1 . 3 .
19 years Total 104 87 81 6 6.5 17 78.3
Source: CBS.
Explanation of symbols

Table explanation


This table contains quarterly and yearly figures on labour participation of young people in the Netherlands. The population of 15 to 24 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 whether they are in education is available.

Data available from: 2013

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

Changes as of February 12, 2026:
The figures for the 4th quarter 2025 and the annual figures of 2025 have been added.

Changes as of August 17, 2022:
None, this is a new table. This table has been compiled on the basis of the Labor Force Survey (LFS). Due to changes in the research design and the questionnaire of the LFS, the figures for 2021 are not automatically comparable with the figures up to and including 2020. The key figures in this table have therefore been made consistent with the (non-seasonally adjusted) figures in the table Arbeidsdeelname, kerncijfers seizoengecorrigeerd (see section 4), in which the outcomes for the period 2013-2020 have been recalculated to align with the outcomes from 2021. When further detailing the outcomes according to job and personal characteristics, there may nevertheless be differences from 2020 to 2021 as a result of the new method.

When will new figures be released?
New figures will be published in May 2026.

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 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.
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.
Unemployed labour force
People who don’t have paid work, recently looked for work and are directly available for it.

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.
Unemployment rate
The unemployed labour force as a percentage of the (employed and 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.
Not in the labour force
People who don’t have paid work, who haven’t recently looked for work recently or are not directly available for it.

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.
Net labour participation rate
The percentage of the employed labour force in the population (labour force and 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 74 years old.