Labour participation; young people

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