Labour participation; key figures

Changed on: 30/01/2026 06:30

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	2025	1,200	318
Total male and female	15 to 74 years	Primary, lower secondary	2025	185	55
Total male and female	15 to 74 years	Upper secondary	2025	408	120
Total male and female	15 to 74 years	Tertiary	2025	600	142
Total male and female	15 to 74 years	Unknown	2025	7	0
Total male and female	15 to 24 years	Total	2025	59	4
Total male and female	15 to 24 years	Primary, lower secondary	2025	15	1
Total male and female	15 to 24 years	Upper secondary	2025	33	2
Total male and female	15 to 24 years	Tertiary	2025	11	0
Total male and female	15 to 24 years	Unknown	2025	0	0
Total male and female	15 to 64 years	Total	2025	1,069	299
Total male and female	15 to 64 years	Primary, lower secondary	2025	160	48
Total male and female	15 to 64 years	Upper secondary	2025	367	114
Total male and female	15 to 64 years	Tertiary	2025	535	137
Total male and female	15 to 64 years	Unknown	2025	7	0
Total male and female	25 to 44 years	Total	2025	421	116
Total male and female	25 to 44 years	Primary, lower secondary	2025	54	14
Total male and female	25 to 44 years	Upper secondary	2025	142	44
Total male and female	25 to 44 years	Tertiary	2025	222	58
Total male and female	25 to 44 years	Unknown	2025	3	0
Total male and female	25 to 34 years	Total	2025	174	34
Total male and female	25 to 34 years	Primary, lower secondary	2025	21	4
Total male and female	25 to 34 years	Upper secondary	2025	68	15
Total male and female	25 to 34 years	Tertiary	2025	84	15
Total male and female	25 to 34 years	Unknown	2025	0	0
Total male and female	35 to 44 years	Total	2025	247	82
Total male and female	35 to 44 years	Primary, lower secondary	2025	33	10
Total male and female	35 to 44 years	Upper secondary	2025	73	29
Total male and female	35 to 44 years	Tertiary	2025	138	43
Total male and female	35 to 44 years	Unknown	2025	2	0
Total male and female	45 to 54 years	Total	2025	292	92
Total male and female	45 to 54 years	Primary, lower secondary	2025	40	14
Total male and female	45 to 54 years	Upper secondary	2025	92	35
Total male and female	45 to 54 years	Tertiary	2025	157	43
Total male and female	45 to 54 years	Unknown	2025	3	0
Total male and female	45 to 64 years	Total	2025	588	180
Total male and female	45 to 64 years	Primary, lower secondary	2025	91	33
Total male and female	45 to 64 years	Upper secondary	2025	192	69
Total male and female	45 to 64 years	Tertiary	2025	301	78
Total male and female	45 to 64 years	Unknown	2025	4	0
Total male and female	45 to 74 years	Total	2025	719	199
Total male and female	45 to 74 years	Primary, lower secondary	2025	117	40
Total male and female	45 to 74 years	Upper secondary	2025	233	75
Total male and female	45 to 74 years	Tertiary	2025	366	83
Total male and female	45 to 74 years	Unknown	2025	4	0
Total male and female	55 to 64 years	Total	2025	296	88
Total male and female	55 to 64 years	Primary, lower secondary	2025	51	19
Total male and female	55 to 64 years	Upper secondary	2025	100	34
Total male and female	55 to 64 years	Tertiary	2025	144	35
Total male and female	55 to 64 years	Unknown	2025	1	0
Total male and female	65 to 74 years	Total	2025	131	19
Total male and female	65 to 74 years	Primary, lower secondary	2025	26	8
Total male and female	65 to 74 years	Upper secondary	2025	41	6
Total male and female	65 to 74 years	Tertiary	2025	65	5
Total male and female	65 to 74 years	Unknown	2025	0	0
Total male and female	15 to 19 years	Total	2025	12	0
Total male and female	15 to 19 years	Primary, lower secondary	2025	7	0
Total male and female	15 to 19 years	Upper secondary	2025	5	0
Total male and female	15 to 19 years	Tertiary	2025	0	0
Total male and female	15 to 19 years	Unknown	2025	0	0
Total male and female	20 to 24 years	Total	2025	47	3
Total male and female	20 to 24 years	Primary, lower secondary	2025	7	1
Total male and female	20 to 24 years	Upper secondary	2025	28	2
Total male and female	20 to 24 years	Tertiary	2025	11	0
Total male and female	20 to 24 years	Unknown	2025	0	0
Total male and female	25 to 29 years	Total	2025	70	11
Total male and female	25 to 29 years	Primary, lower secondary	2025	10	2
Total male and female	25 to 29 years	Upper secondary	2025	31	6
Total male and female	25 to 29 years	Tertiary	2025	30	4
Total male and female	25 to 29 years	Unknown	2025	0	0
Total male and female	30 to 34 years	Total	2025	104	23
Total male and female	30 to 34 years	Primary, lower secondary	2025	11	2
Total male and female	30 to 34 years	Upper secondary	2025	38	9
Total male and female	30 to 34 years	Tertiary	2025	54	11
Total male and female	30 to 34 years	Unknown	2025	0	0
Total male and female	35 to 39 years	Total	2025	122	38
Total male and female	35 to 39 years	Primary, lower secondary	2025	13	5
Total male and female	35 to 39 years	Upper secondary	2025	38	14
Total male and female	35 to 39 years	Tertiary	2025	70	19
Total male and female	35 to 39 years	Unknown	2025	2	0
Total male and female	40 to 44 years	Total	2025	125	44
Total male and female	40 to 44 years	Primary, lower secondary	2025	20	5
Total male and female	40 to 44 years	Upper secondary	2025	36	15
Total male and female	40 to 44 years	Tertiary	2025	69	24
Total male and female	40 to 44 years	Unknown	2025	1	0
Total male and female	45 to 49 years	Total	2025	132	42
Total male and female	45 to 49 years	Primary, lower secondary	2025	19	5
Total male and female	45 to 49 years	Upper secondary	2025	40	16
Total male and female	45 to 49 years	Tertiary	2025	72	22
Total male and female	45 to 49 years	Unknown	2025	1	0
Total male and female	50 to 54 years	Total	2025	160	50
Total male and female	50 to 54 years	Primary, lower secondary	2025	21	9
Total male and female	50 to 54 years	Upper secondary	2025	52	19
Total male and female	50 to 54 years	Tertiary	2025	85	21
Total male and female	50 to 54 years	Unknown	2025	2	0
Total male and female	55 to 59 years	Total	2025	155	50
Total male and female	55 to 59 years	Primary, lower secondary	2025	23	10
Total male and female	55 to 59 years	Upper secondary	2025	53	21
Total male and female	55 to 59 years	Tertiary	2025	78	19
Total male and female	55 to 59 years	Unknown	2025	1	0
Source: CBS.

Explanation of symbols

Table explanation

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 January 30, 2026:
The figures for the 4th quarter 2025 and the annual figures of 2025 have been added.

Changes as of November 14, 2024:
The figures for 3rd quarter 2024 are added.
Figures have been added on labor participation based on whether or not the state pension age has been reached.

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 April 2026.

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.