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 Working hours Full-time (x 1 000)
Total male and female	15 to 74 years	Total	2025	5,051
Total male and female	15 to 74 years	Primary, lower secondary	2025	783
Total male and female	15 to 74 years	Upper secondary	2025	1,721
Total male and female	15 to 74 years	Tertiary	2025	2,518
Total male and female	15 to 74 years	Unknown	2025	29
Total male and female	15 to 24 years	Total	2025	381
Total male and female	15 to 24 years	Primary, lower secondary	2025	87
Total male and female	15 to 24 years	Upper secondary	2025	183
Total male and female	15 to 24 years	Tertiary	2025	110
Total male and female	15 to 24 years	Unknown	2025	0
Total male and female	15 to 64 years	Total	2025	4,940
Total male and female	15 to 64 years	Primary, lower secondary	2025	751
Total male and female	15 to 64 years	Upper secondary	2025	1,685
Total male and female	15 to 64 years	Tertiary	2025	2,476
Total male and female	15 to 64 years	Unknown	2025	28
Total male and female	25 to 44 years	Total	2025	2,440
Total male and female	25 to 44 years	Primary, lower secondary	2025	249
Total male and female	25 to 44 years	Upper secondary	2025	744
Total male and female	25 to 44 years	Tertiary	2025	1,432
Total male and female	25 to 44 years	Unknown	2025	15
Total male and female	25 to 34 years	Total	2025	1,329
Total male and female	25 to 34 years	Primary, lower secondary	2025	103
Total male and female	25 to 34 years	Upper secondary	2025	401
Total male and female	25 to 34 years	Tertiary	2025	821
Total male and female	25 to 34 years	Unknown	2025	5
Total male and female	35 to 44 years	Total	2025	1,111
Total male and female	35 to 44 years	Primary, lower secondary	2025	146
Total male and female	35 to 44 years	Upper secondary	2025	344
Total male and female	35 to 44 years	Tertiary	2025	611
Total male and female	35 to 44 years	Unknown	2025	10
Total male and female	45 to 54 years	Total	2025	1,119
Total male and female	45 to 54 years	Primary, lower secondary	2025	179
Total male and female	45 to 54 years	Upper secondary	2025	385
Total male and female	45 to 54 years	Tertiary	2025	547
Total male and female	45 to 54 years	Unknown	2025	8
Total male and female	45 to 64 years	Total	2025	2,119
Total male and female	45 to 64 years	Primary, lower secondary	2025	415
Total male and female	45 to 64 years	Upper secondary	2025	758
Total male and female	45 to 64 years	Tertiary	2025	934
Total male and female	45 to 64 years	Unknown	2025	13
Total male and female	45 to 74 years	Total	2025	2,230
Total male and female	45 to 74 years	Primary, lower secondary	2025	447
Total male and female	45 to 74 years	Upper secondary	2025	794
Total male and female	45 to 74 years	Tertiary	2025	976
Total male and female	45 to 74 years	Unknown	2025	14
Total male and female	55 to 64 years	Total	2025	1,000
Total male and female	55 to 64 years	Primary, lower secondary	2025	235
Total male and female	55 to 64 years	Upper secondary	2025	373
Total male and female	55 to 64 years	Tertiary	2025	386
Total male and female	55 to 64 years	Unknown	2025	5
Total male and female	65 to 74 years	Total	2025	111
Total male and female	65 to 74 years	Primary, lower secondary	2025	32
Total male and female	65 to 74 years	Upper secondary	2025	36
Total male and female	65 to 74 years	Tertiary	2025	42
Total male and female	65 to 74 years	Unknown	2025	1
Total male and female	15 to 19 years	Total	2025	60
Total male and female	15 to 19 years	Primary, lower secondary	2025	38
Total male and female	15 to 19 years	Upper secondary	2025	22
Total male and female	15 to 19 years	Tertiary	2025	0
Total male and female	15 to 19 years	Unknown	2025	0
Total male and female	20 to 24 years	Total	2025	321
Total male and female	20 to 24 years	Primary, lower secondary	2025	50
Total male and female	20 to 24 years	Upper secondary	2025	161
Total male and female	20 to 24 years	Tertiary	2025	110
Total male and female	20 to 24 years	Unknown	2025	0
Total male and female	25 to 29 years	Total	2025	668
Total male and female	25 to 29 years	Primary, lower secondary	2025	47
Total male and female	25 to 29 years	Upper secondary	2025	200
Total male and female	25 to 29 years	Tertiary	2025	420
Total male and female	25 to 29 years	Unknown	2025	1
Total male and female	30 to 34 years	Total	2025	661
Total male and female	30 to 34 years	Primary, lower secondary	2025	56
Total male and female	30 to 34 years	Upper secondary	2025	200
Total male and female	30 to 34 years	Tertiary	2025	401
Total male and female	30 to 34 years	Unknown	2025	4
Total male and female	35 to 39 years	Total	2025	575
Total male and female	35 to 39 years	Primary, lower secondary	2025	65
Total male and female	35 to 39 years	Upper secondary	2025	177
Total male and female	35 to 39 years	Tertiary	2025	328
Total male and female	35 to 39 years	Unknown	2025	5
Total male and female	40 to 44 years	Total	2025	536
Total male and female	40 to 44 years	Primary, lower secondary	2025	80
Total male and female	40 to 44 years	Upper secondary	2025	167
Total male and female	40 to 44 years	Tertiary	2025	284
Total male and female	40 to 44 years	Unknown	2025	5
Total male and female	45 to 49 years	Total	2025	537
Total male and female	45 to 49 years	Primary, lower secondary	2025	78
Total male and female	45 to 49 years	Upper secondary	2025	182
Total male and female	45 to 49 years	Tertiary	2025	273
Total male and female	45 to 49 years	Unknown	2025	4
Total male and female	50 to 54 years	Total	2025	582
Total male and female	50 to 54 years	Primary, lower secondary	2025	101
Total male and female	50 to 54 years	Upper secondary	2025	203
Total male and female	50 to 54 years	Tertiary	2025	274
Total male and female	50 to 54 years	Unknown	2025	4
Total male and female	55 to 59 years	Total	2025	596
Total male and female	55 to 59 years	Primary, lower secondary	2025	125
Total male and female	55 to 59 years	Upper secondary	2025	226
Total male and female	55 to 59 years	Tertiary	2025	242
Total male and female	55 to 59 years	Unknown	2025	3
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.

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.

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.