Labour participation; young people

View full table Show description
Sex Age Formal Eduation Labour force Employed labour force Working hours Full-time (x 1 000)
Total male and female 15 to 24 years Total 388
In formal education 137
Not in formal education 251
15 to 19 years Total 69
In formal education 47
Not in formal education 21
20 to 24 years Total 320
In formal education 90
Not in formal education 230
15 years Total 4
In formal education 4
Not in formal education 0
16 years Total 5
In formal education 5
Not in formal education 0
17 years Total 13
In formal education 11
Not in formal education 2
18 years Total 19
In formal education 12
Not in formal education 6
19 years Total 29
In formal education 16
Not in formal education 13
20 years Total 36
In formal education 16
Not in formal education 20
21 years Total 47
In formal education 13
Not in formal education 34
22 years Total 60
In formal education 17
Not in formal education 43
23 years Total 77
In formal education 22
Not in formal education 56
24 years Total 100
In formal education 22
Not in formal education 78
Male 15 to 24 years Total 250
In formal education 87
Not in formal education 162
15 to 19 years Total 49
In formal education 33
Not in formal education 16
20 to 24 years Total 200
In formal education 55
Not in formal education 146
15 years Total 3
In formal education 3
Not in formal education 0
16 years Total 3
In formal education 3
Not in formal education 0
17 years Total 8
In formal education 7
Not in formal education 1
18 years Total 13
In formal education 8
Not in formal education 5
19 years Total 22
In formal education 12
Not in formal education 10
20 years Total 25
In formal education 10
Not in formal education 15
21 years Total 29
In formal education 7
Not in formal education 22
22 years Total 37
In formal education 9
Not in formal education 27
23 years Total 48
In formal education 13
Not in formal education 35
24 years Total 61
In formal education 15
Not in formal education 46
Female 15 to 24 years Total 139
In formal education 50
Not in formal education 89
15 to 19 years Total 20
In formal education 15
Not in formal education 5
20 to 24 years Total 119
In formal education 35
Not in formal education 84
15 years Total 1
In formal education 1
Not in formal education 0
16 years Total 1
In formal education 1
Not in formal education 0
17 years Total 5
In formal education 4
Not in formal education 1
18 years Total 6
In formal education 4
Not in formal education 1
19 years Total 7
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 November 13, 2025:
The figures for the 3rd quarter 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 February 2025.

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.
Working hours
The number of hours someone works in a normal or average working week.

In the average working hours overtime and unpaid hours are not taken into account.

Full-time
The number of hours that a person works in a normal or average working week is 35 hours or more.

In the average working hours overtime and unpaid hours are not taken into account.