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 1,794 1,627 167 9.3 374 75.0
In formal education 1,611 1,296 1,166 130 10.0 315 72.4
Not in formal education 557 498 461 37 7.5 59 82.8
15 to 19 years Total 1,014 788 700 88 11.1 226 69.0
In formal education 923 714 635 79 11.1 210 68.7
Not in formal education 91 74 65 9 11.9 17 71.9
20 to 24 years Total 1,155 1,007 927 80 7.9 148 80.3
In formal education 688 582 531 51 8.8 106 77.2
Not in formal education 467 424 396 28 6.7 42 84.9
15 years Total 197 134 110 24 18.0 63 55.8
In formal education 195 132 108 24 18.1 62 55.7
Not in formal education 3 2 2 0 . 1 .
16 years Total 198 147 129 19 12.7 51 64.9
In formal education 194 146 128 18 12.6 48 65.8
Not in formal education 4 1 1 0 . 3 .
17 years Total 200 161 146 14 8.8 40 73.0
In formal education 192 154 141 13 8.4 37 73.9
Not in formal education 9 6 5 1 . 3 .
18 years Total 204 171 155 16 9.3 33 76.0
In formal education 171 142 130 13 9.0 29 75.7
Not in formal education 32 28 25 3 . 4 78.1
19 years Total 215 175 160 15 8.6 39 74.6
In formal education 172 139 128 11 7.8 33 74.3
Not in formal education 43 37 33 4 11.5 6 75.9
20 years Total 220 189 171 18 9.8 31 77.4
In formal education 166 140 125 15 10.8 26 75.2
Not in formal education 54 49 46 3 6.7 5 84.1
21 years Total 228 194 179 15 7.7 33 78.8
In formal education 160 135 124 10 7.6 25 77.9
Not in formal education 68 60 55 5 7.9 8 81.1
22 years Total 234 202 189 13 6.6 32 80.5
In formal education 142 119 110 8 7.0 23 77.9
Not in formal education 93 83 78 5 6.1 9 84.4
23 years Total 236 209 191 18 8.8 26 81.0
In formal education 125 108 96 12 11.3 17 76.9
Not in formal education 111 102 95 6 6.1 10 85.7
24 years Total 237 212 198 14 6.8 25 83.5
In formal education 96 81 76 5 6.5 15 79.0
Not in formal education 141 131 122 9 6.9 10 86.6
Male 15 to 24 years Total 1,105 917 829 87 9.5 189 75.0
In formal education 814 650 584 67 10.2 163 71.7
Not in formal education 292 266 246 21 7.7 25 84.2
15 to 19 years Total 521 407 361 46 11.4 114 69.3
In formal education 471 366 325 41 11.2 105 69.0
Not in formal education 50 42 36 6 13.1 9 72.2
20 to 24 years Total 584 509 468 41 8.0 75 80.2
In formal education 343 285 259 26 9.1 58 75.5
Not in formal education 241 224 209 15 6.7 17 86.8
15 years Total 101 69 57 12 17.9 31 56.6
In formal education 99 68 56 12 18.2 31 56.4
Not in formal education 2 1 1 0 . 1 .
16 years Total 102 76 66 10 12.8 26 64.7
In formal education 100 75 65 9 12.7 25 65.7
Not in formal education 2 1 0 0 . 2 .
17 years Total 104 85 78 7 8.3 18 75.4
In formal education 99 82 75 7 8.1 17 76.3
Not in formal education 5 3 3 0 . 2 .
18 years Total 105 88 78 9 10.7 17 75.0
In formal education 87 72 65 8 10.4 15 74.0
Not in formal education 17 16 14 2 . 2 .
19 years Total 110 89 82 8 8.7 21 74.0
In formal education 86 68 63 5 7.0 18 73.9
Not in formal education 25 21 18 3 . 3 .
20 years Total 112 95 85 11 11.3 17 75.3
In formal education 79 65 57 8 12.5 14 71.6
Not in formal education 33 31 28 3 8.6 3 84.2
21 years Total 115 100 93 7 6.5 16 80.8
In formal education 78 66 61 5 7.5 13 77.6
Not in formal education 37 34 32 2 4.7 3 87.8
22 years Total 118 102 94 8 8.2 16 79.6
In formal education 71 59 54 4 7.4 12 76.3
Not in formal education 47 44 40 4 9.1 3 84.5
23 years Total 119 105 96 9 8.9 14 80.3
In formal education 63 54 48 6 11.1 10 75.3
Not in formal education 56 51 48 3 6.5 4 86.0
24 years Total 119 107 101 6 5.5 13 84.5
In formal education 51 42 40 2 5.8 9 77.6
Not in formal education 68 65 61 3 5.3 4 89.7
Female 15 to 24 years Total 1,063 878 798 80 9.1 185 75.0
In formal education 798 646 582 64 9.8 152 73.0
Not in formal education 266 232 215 17 7.2 33 81.1
15 to 19 years Total 493 380 339 41 10.9 112 68.8
In formal education 453 348 310 38 11.0 104 68.5
Not in formal education 40 32 29 3 10.3 8 71.6
20 to 24 years Total 570 498 459 39 7.8 73 80.4
In formal education 345 298 272 25 8.5 47 78.9
Not in formal education 225 200 187 13 6.7 25 82.8
15 years Total 96 65 53 12 18.2 32 54.9
In formal education 95 64 52 12 18.1 31 54.9
Not in formal education 1 1 1 0 . 0 .
16 years Total 96 72 63 9 12.5 25 65.2
In formal education 94 71 62 9 12.6 23 65.9
Not in formal education 2 0 0 0 . 1 .
17 years Total 97 75 68 7 9.4 21 70.5
In formal education 93 73 66 6 8.8 20 71.3
Not in formal education 4 3 2 1 . 1 .
18 years Total 99 83 76 6 7.7 16 77.1
In formal education 84 70 65 5 7.5 14 77.4
Not in formal education 15 12 11 1 . 3 .
19 years Total 104 86 79 7 8.5 19 75.3
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 May 21, 2026:
The figures for the 1st quarter 2026 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 August 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.