Labour participation; key figures

Labour participation; key figures

Sex Age Highest educational level Periods Labour force Employed labour force Professional status Self-employed person Self-employed without employees (x 1 000) Labour force Employed labour force Professional status Self-employed person Self-employed with employees (x 1 000)
Total male and female 15 to 74 years Total 2023 1,230 327
Total male and female 15 to 74 years 1 Lower education 2023 201 55
Total male and female 15 to 74 years 2 Intermediate education 2023 446 125
Total male and female 15 to 74 years 3 Higher education 2023 578 146
Total male and female 15 to 74 years Unknown 2023 5 1
Total male and female 15 to 24 years Total 2023 76 3
Total male and female 15 to 24 years 1 Lower education 2023 15 1
Total male and female 15 to 24 years 2 Intermediate education 2023 45 1
Total male and female 15 to 24 years 3 Higher education 2023 15 1
Total male and female 15 to 24 years Unknown 2023 0 0
Total male and female 15 to 64 years Total 2023 1,112 310
Total male and female 15 to 64 years 1 Lower education 2023 174 50
Total male and female 15 to 64 years 2 Intermediate education 2023 410 118
Total male and female 15 to 64 years 3 Higher education 2023 523 141
Total male and female 15 to 64 years Unknown 2023 5 1
Total male and female 25 to 44 years Total 2023 459 115
Total male and female 25 to 44 years 1 Lower education 2023 61 14
Total male and female 25 to 44 years 2 Intermediate education 2023 170 42
Total male and female 25 to 44 years 3 Higher education 2023 226 59
Total male and female 25 to 44 years Unknown 2023 2 0
Total male and female 25 to 34 years Total 2023 202 33
Total male and female 25 to 34 years 1 Lower education 2023 24 4
Total male and female 25 to 34 years 2 Intermediate education 2023 85 13
Total male and female 25 to 34 years 3 Higher education 2023 91 16
Total male and female 25 to 34 years Unknown 2023 1 0
Total male and female 35 to 44 years Total 2023 258 82
Total male and female 35 to 44 years 1 Lower education 2023 37 10
Total male and female 35 to 44 years 2 Intermediate education 2023 85 29
Total male and female 35 to 44 years 3 Higher education 2023 135 44
Total male and female 35 to 44 years Unknown 2023 1 0
Total male and female 45 to 54 years Total 2023 291 102
Total male and female 45 to 54 years 1 Lower education 2023 45 15
Total male and female 45 to 54 years 2 Intermediate education 2023 97 39
Total male and female 45 to 54 years 3 Higher education 2023 148 47
Total male and female 45 to 54 years Unknown 2023 1 0
Total male and female 45 to 64 years Total 2023 577 191
Total male and female 45 to 64 years 1 Lower education 2023 97 36
Total male and female 45 to 64 years 2 Intermediate education 2023 195 75
Total male and female 45 to 64 years 3 Higher education 2023 282 81
Total male and female 45 to 64 years Unknown 2023 3 1
Total male and female 45 to 74 years Total 2023 695 209
Total male and female 45 to 74 years 1 Lower education 2023 124 41
Total male and female 45 to 74 years 2 Intermediate education 2023 230 81
Total male and female 45 to 74 years 3 Higher education 2023 337 86
Total male and female 45 to 74 years Unknown 2023 3 1
Total male and female 55 to 64 years Total 2023 286 90
Total male and female 55 to 64 years 1 Lower education 2023 53 20
Total male and female 55 to 64 years 2 Intermediate education 2023 98 36
Total male and female 55 to 64 years 3 Higher education 2023 134 34
Total male and female 55 to 64 years Unknown 2023 2 0
Total male and female 65 to 74 years Total 2023 117 17
Total male and female 65 to 74 years 1 Lower education 2023 27 5
Total male and female 65 to 74 years 2 Intermediate education 2023 35 7
Total male and female 65 to 74 years 3 Higher education 2023 55 6
Total male and female 65 to 74 years Unknown 2023 0 0
Total male and female 15 to 19 years Total 2023 14 0
Total male and female 15 to 19 years 1 Lower education 2023 8 0
Total male and female 15 to 19 years 2 Intermediate education 2023 6 0
Total male and female 15 to 19 years 3 Higher education 2023 0 0
Total male and female 15 to 19 years Unknown 2023 0 0
Total male and female 20 to 24 years Total 2023 62 3
Total male and female 20 to 24 years 1 Lower education 2023 8 1
Total male and female 20 to 24 years 2 Intermediate education 2023 39 1
Total male and female 20 to 24 years 3 Higher education 2023 15 1
Total male and female 20 to 24 years Unknown 2023 0 0
Total male and female 25 to 29 years Total 2023 80 10
Total male and female 25 to 29 years 1 Lower education 2023 7 1
Total male and female 25 to 29 years 2 Intermediate education 2023 40 5
Total male and female 25 to 29 years 3 Higher education 2023 32 4
Total male and female 25 to 29 years Unknown 2023 0 0
Total male and female 30 to 34 years Total 2023 122 23
Total male and female 30 to 34 years 1 Lower education 2023 17 3
Total male and female 30 to 34 years 2 Intermediate education 2023 45 9
Total male and female 30 to 34 years 3 Higher education 2023 59 11
Total male and female 30 to 34 years Unknown 2023 1 0
Total male and female 35 to 39 years Total 2023 122 35
Total male and female 35 to 39 years 1 Lower education 2023 16 4
Total male and female 35 to 39 years 2 Intermediate education 2023 43 13
Total male and female 35 to 39 years 3 Higher education 2023 63 18
Total male and female 35 to 39 years Unknown 2023 1 0
Total male and female 40 to 44 years Total 2023 135 47
Total male and female 40 to 44 years 1 Lower education 2023 20 6
Total male and female 40 to 44 years 2 Intermediate education 2023 42 15
Total male and female 40 to 44 years 3 Higher education 2023 72 26
Total male and female 40 to 44 years Unknown 2023 0 0
Total male and female 45 to 49 years Total 2023 128 46
Total male and female 45 to 49 years 1 Lower education 2023 17 5
Total male and female 45 to 49 years 2 Intermediate education 2023 42 17
Total male and female 45 to 49 years 3 Higher education 2023 68 24
Total male and female 45 to 49 years Unknown 2023 1 0
Total male and female 50 to 54 years Total 2023 163 56
Total male and female 50 to 54 years 1 Lower education 2023 28 10
Total male and female 50 to 54 years 2 Intermediate education 2023 55 22
Total male and female 50 to 54 years 3 Higher education 2023 80 23
Total male and female 50 to 54 years Unknown 2023 0 0
Total male and female 55 to 59 years Total 2023 148 53
Total male and female 55 to 59 years 1 Lower education 2023 27 11
Total male and female 55 to 59 years 2 Intermediate education 2023 53 23
Total male and female 55 to 59 years 3 Higher education 2023 68 19
Total male and female 55 to 59 years Unknown 2023 1 0
Source: CBS.
Explanation of symbols

Dataset is not available.


This table contains quarterly and yearly figures on labour participation in the Netherlands. The population of 15 to 74 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 level of education is available.

Data available from: 2013

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

Changes as of February 14, 2024:
The figures for 4th quarter and years 2023 are 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 on May 15, 2024.

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.

Self-employed without employees
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
-  as another self-employed person (for example in an independent profession), and
-  who has no employees.

When a person has more than one job, the job in which most hours are worked, is used.

Self-employed with employees
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, and
-  who has employees.

When a person has more than one job, the job in which most hours are worked, is used.