Labour participation; young people

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Sex Age Formal Eduation Labour force Employed labour force Working hours Full-time (x 1 000) Labour force Employed labour force Working hours Part-time Less than 20 working hours a week Less than 20 working hours a week (x 1 000) Labour force Employed labour force Working hours Part-time Less than 20 working hours a week Less than 12 working hours a week (x 1 000) Labour force Employed labour force Working hours Part-time Less than 20 working hours a week 12 to 19 working hours a week (x 1 000) Labour force Employed labour force Working hours Part-time 20 to 34 working hours a week 20 to 34 working hours a week (x 1 000) Labour force Employed labour force Working hours Part-time 20 to 34 working hours a week 20 to 27 working hours a week (x 1 000) Labour force Employed labour force Working hours Part-time 20 to 34 working hours a week 28 to 34 working hours a week (x 1 000)
Total male and female 15 to 24 years Total 388 843 544 299 422 214 208
In formal education 137 779 517 262 274 160 114
Not in formal education 251 64 27 37 149 54 95
15 to 19 years Total 69 521 372 149 138 87 51
In formal education 47 496 359 137 115 74 41
Not in formal education 21 25 13 11 23 13 10
20 to 24 years Total 320 322 172 150 285 127 157
In formal education 90 283 158 125 159 86 73
Not in formal education 230 39 14 26 125 41 85
15 years Total 4 107 95 12 7 7 0
In formal education 4 105 93 12 7 7 0
Not in formal education 0 2 2 0 0 0 0
16 years Total 5 118 92 26 17 12 5
In formal education 5 117 91 25 16 12 4
Not in formal education 0 1 0 1 1 0 1
17 years Total 13 109 72 37 27 17 10
In formal education 11 106 70 35 25 16 9
Not in formal education 2 4 2 2 2 1 1
18 years Total 19 100 63 38 39 24 15
In formal education 12 92 58 33 31 19 12
Not in formal education 6 9 5 4 8 4 3
19 years Total 29 87 51 36 48 28 20
In formal education 16 77 46 31 36 20 16
Not in formal education 13 9 5 5 12 8 4
20 years Total 36 80 46 34 53 27 27
In formal education 16 73 43 30 37 21 17
Not in formal education 20 6 2 4 16 6 10
21 years Total 47 83 46 37 55 28 27
In formal education 13 75 43 32 36 20 16
Not in formal education 34 8 3 5 19 8 12
22 years Total 60 65 33 32 63 30 33
In formal education 17 57 30 26 33 19 14
Not in formal education 43 9 3 6 30 12 19
23 years Total 77 54 25 29 61 24 37
In formal education 22 46 23 23 32 16 16
Not in formal education 56 8 2 6 29 8 21
24 years Total 100 41 23 18 52 18 33
In formal education 22 33 19 14 21 11 10
Not in formal education 78 8 3 5 31 7 24
Male 15 to 24 years Total 250 396 252 144 190 96 95
In formal education 87 366 240 126 132 74 57
Not in formal education 162 30 12 19 59 22 37
15 to 19 years Total 49 251 180 71 74 44 30
In formal education 33 239 173 65 61 37 24
Not in formal education 16 13 7 6 13 7 6
20 to 24 years Total 200 145 72 73 116 52 65
In formal education 55 128 67 60 70 37 33
Not in formal education 146 17 5 12 46 15 32
15 years Total 3 55 50 6 2 2 0
In formal education 3 54 48 5 2 2 0
Not in formal education 0 1 1 0 0 0 0
16 years Total 3 57 46 12 10 6 4
In formal education 3 57 45 12 9 6 3
Not in formal education 0 0 0 0 1 0 1
17 years Total 8 53 34 19 17 9 8
In formal education 7 52 33 19 15 8 7
Not in formal education 1 2 1 1 2 1 1
18 years Total 13 48 30 18 21 13 8
In formal education 8 43 27 15 16 10 6
Not in formal education 5 6 3 3 4 2 2
19 years Total 22 37 21 16 25 14 10
In formal education 12 34 19 14 19 10 9
Not in formal education 10 3 2 2 6 4 2
20 years Total 25 33 19 14 27 14 14
In formal education 10 30 18 11 19 11 8
Not in formal education 15 4 1 2 8 2 5
21 years Total 29 38 20 18 25 11 14
In formal education 7 35 19 16 16 8 8
Not in formal education 22 3 1 2 9 3 6
22 years Total 37 31 13 18 25 12 12
In formal education 9 26 12 14 15 8 7
Not in formal education 27 4 1 3 10 5 6
23 years Total 48 26 11 15 21 8 13
In formal education 13 22 10 12 12 6 6
Not in formal education 35 4 1 3 10 3 7
24 years Total 61 17 9 8 19 7 12
In formal education 15 15 8 7 9 4 5
Not in formal education 46 3 1 2 10 2 7
Female 15 to 24 years Total 139 447 292 155 232 118 114
In formal education 50 413 277 136 142 86 56
Not in formal education 89 34 15 18 90 32 57
15 to 19 years Total 20 270 192 77 64 43 21
In formal education 15 258 186 72 53 37 17
Not in formal education 5 12 7 5 10 6 4
20 to 24 years Total 119 177 100 77 168 75 93
In formal education 35 156 91 64 89 49 40
Not in formal education 84 22 9 13 79 26 53
15 years Total 1 52 45 7 4 4 0
In formal education 1 51 45 7 4 4 0
Not in formal education 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
16 years Total 1 60 46 14 7 6 2
In formal education 1 60 46 14 7 6 2
Not in formal education 0 1 0 1 0 0 0
17 years Total 5 56 38 18 10 8 2
In formal education 4 54 37 17 10 8 2
Not in formal education 1 2 1 1 0 0 0
18 years Total 6 52 33 19 18 11 7
In formal education 4 49 31 18 15 9 6
Not in formal education 1 3 2 1 3 2 1
19 years Total 7 49 30 19 23 13 10
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.

Part-time
The number of hours that a person works in a normal or average working week is less than 35 hours.

In the average working hours overtime and unpaid hours are not taken into account.
Less than 20 working hours a week
The number of hours that a person works in a normal or average working week is less than 20 hours.

In the average working hours overtime and unpaid hours are not taken into account.
Less than 20 working hours a week
The number of hours that a person works in a normal or average working week is less than 20 hours.

In the average working hours overtime and unpaid hours are not taken into account.
Less than 12 working hours a week
The number of hours that a person works in a normal or average working week is less than 12 hours.

In the average working hours overtime and unpaid hours are not taken into account.
12 to 19 working hours a week
The number of hours that a person works in a normal or average working week is 12 to 19 hours.

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

20 to 34 working hours a week
The number of hours that a person works in a normal or average working week is is 20 to 34 hours.

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

20 to 34 working hours a week
The number of hours that a person works in a normal or average working week is 20 to 34 hours.

In the average working hours overtime and unpaid hours are not taken into account.
20 to 27 working hours a week
The number of hours that a person works in a normal or average working week is 20 to 27 hours.

In the average working hours overtime and unpaid hours are not taken into account.
28 to 34 working hours a week
The number of hours that a person works in a normal or average working week is 28 to 34 hours.

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.