Labour participation; key figures

Changed on: 30/01/2026 06:30

Labour participation; key figures
Sex	Age	Highest educational level	Periods	Labour force and not in the labour force (x 1 000)	Labour force Labour force (x 1 000)	Labour force Unemployed labour force (x 1 000)	Labour force Unemployment rate (%)	Labour force Employed labour force Employed labour force (x 1 000)	Not in the labour force (x 1 000)
Total male and female	15 to 74 years	Total	2025	13,426	10,229	396	3.9	9,833	3,197
Total male and female	15 to 74 years	Primary, lower secondary	2025	3,364	2,049	123	6.0	1,926	1,314
Total male and female	15 to 74 years	Upper secondary	2025	4,848	3,765	137	3.6	3,628	1,083
Total male and female	15 to 74 years	Tertiary	2025	5,128	4,369	134	3.1	4,235	759
Total male and female	15 to 74 years	Unknown	2025	87	46	2	5.0	44	41
Total male and female	15 to 24 years	Total	2025	2,169	1,807	160	8.8	1,648	362
Total male and female	15 to 24 years	Primary, lower secondary	2025	925	721	78	10.8	643	204
Total male and female	15 to 24 years	Upper secondary	2025	924	800	58	7.2	742	124
Total male and female	15 to 24 years	Tertiary	2025	318	285	23	8.2	261	34
Total male and female	15 to 24 years	Unknown	2025	2	1	0	.	1	0
Total male and female	15 to 64 years	Total	2025	11,447	9,804	382	3.9	9,421	1,643
Total male and female	15 to 64 years	Primary, lower secondary	2025	2,618	1,917	120	6.3	1,796	701
Total male and female	15 to 64 years	Upper secondary	2025	4,197	3,622	131	3.6	3,490	576
Total male and female	15 to 64 years	Tertiary	2025	4,560	4,221	128	3.0	4,093	339
Total male and female	15 to 64 years	Unknown	2025	72	44	2	5.2	42	27
Total male and female	25 to 44 years	Total	2025	4,606	4,157	135	3.2	4,023	449
Total male and female	25 to 44 years	Primary, lower secondary	2025	575	419	24	5.6	396	156
Total male and female	25 to 44 years	Upper secondary	2025	1,520	1,357	42	3.1	1,316	163
Total male and female	25 to 44 years	Tertiary	2025	2,481	2,360	68	2.9	2,292	121
Total male and female	25 to 44 years	Unknown	2025	30	21	1	4.9	20	9
Total male and female	25 to 34 years	Total	2025	2,373	2,161	80	3.7	2,081	212
Total male and female	25 to 34 years	Primary, lower secondary	2025	238	172	12	7.1	160	66
Total male and female	25 to 34 years	Upper secondary	2025	799	717	25	3.5	692	81
Total male and female	25 to 34 years	Tertiary	2025	1,326	1,265	42	3.3	1,223	61
Total male and female	25 to 34 years	Unknown	2025	10	7	1	.	6	3
Total male and female	35 to 44 years	Total	2025	2,233	1,997	55	2.8	1,942	237
Total male and female	35 to 44 years	Primary, lower secondary	2025	337	247	11	4.6	236	90
Total male and female	35 to 44 years	Upper secondary	2025	721	640	17	2.6	623	81
Total male and female	35 to 44 years	Tertiary	2025	1,155	1,095	27	2.4	1,069	60
Total male and female	35 to 44 years	Unknown	2025	20	14	0	.	13	6
Total male and female	45 to 54 years	Total	2025	2,199	1,919	43	2.3	1,876	280
Total male and female	45 to 54 years	Primary, lower secondary	2025	410	301	9	2.9	292	110
Total male and female	45 to 54 years	Upper secondary	2025	798	698	15	2.1	683	100
Total male and female	45 to 54 years	Tertiary	2025	973	909	20	2.2	889	64
Total male and female	45 to 54 years	Unknown	2025	18	12	0	.	11	6
Total male and female	45 to 64 years	Total	2025	4,672	3,839	88	2.3	3,751	833
Total male and female	45 to 64 years	Primary, lower secondary	2025	1,118	776	19	2.4	757	342
Total male and female	45 to 64 years	Upper secondary	2025	1,753	1,464	32	2.2	1,432	289
Total male and female	45 to 64 years	Tertiary	2025	1,761	1,576	37	2.3	1,540	185
Total male and female	45 to 64 years	Unknown	2025	40	22	1	4.3	21	18
Total male and female	45 to 74 years	Total	2025	6,651	4,264	102	2.4	4,162	2,387
Total male and female	45 to 74 years	Primary, lower secondary	2025	1,864	909	22	2.4	887	955
Total male and female	45 to 74 years	Upper secondary	2025	2,403	1,607	37	2.3	1,570	796
Total male and female	45 to 74 years	Tertiary	2025	2,328	1,724	42	2.5	1,682	605
Total male and female	45 to 74 years	Unknown	2025	56	24	1	4.0	23	31
Total male and female	55 to 64 years	Total	2025	2,473	1,920	45	2.3	1,875	553
Total male and female	55 to 64 years	Primary, lower secondary	2025	708	475	10	2.1	465	232
Total male and female	55 to 64 years	Upper secondary	2025	955	766	17	2.2	749	189
Total male and female	55 to 64 years	Tertiary	2025	788	667	17	2.6	650	121
Total male and female	55 to 64 years	Unknown	2025	22	11	1	.	10	11
Total male and female	65 to 74 years	Total	2025	1,979	425	14	3.3	412	1,554
Total male and female	65 to 74 years	Primary, lower secondary	2025	746	133	3	2.3	130	613
Total male and female	65 to 74 years	Upper secondary	2025	650	143	5	3.7	138	507
Total male and female	65 to 74 years	Tertiary	2025	568	148	6	3.8	142	420
Total male and female	65 to 74 years	Unknown	2025	15	2	0	.	2	13
Total male and female	15 to 19 years	Total	2025	1,008	797	85	10.7	712	211
Total male and female	15 to 19 years	Primary, lower secondary	2025	757	587	66	11.3	520	170
Total male and female	15 to 19 years	Upper secondary	2025	245	205	18	9.0	187	40
Total male and female	15 to 19 years	Tertiary	2025	6	6	1	.	5	1
Total male and female	15 to 19 years	Unknown	2025	0	0	0	.	0	0
Total male and female	20 to 24 years	Total	2025	1,161	1,010	74	7.4	936	151
Total male and female	20 to 24 years	Primary, lower secondary	2025	168	135	12	8.9	123	34
Total male and female	20 to 24 years	Upper secondary	2025	679	595	39	6.6	556	84
Total male and female	20 to 24 years	Tertiary	2025	312	279	23	8.2	256	33
Total male and female	20 to 24 years	Unknown	2025	1	1	0	.	1	0
Total male and female	25 to 29 years	Total	2025	1,174	1,070	45	4.2	1,025	104
Total male and female	25 to 29 years	Primary, lower secondary	2025	113	82	6	6.9	76	32
Total male and female	25 to 29 years	Upper secondary	2025	400	359	14	3.9	345	41
Total male and female	25 to 29 years	Tertiary	2025	658	628	26	4.1	602	30
Total male and female	25 to 29 years	Unknown	2025	2	2	0	.	2	1
Total male and female	30 to 34 years	Total	2025	1,199	1,091	34	3.1	1,057	108
Total male and female	30 to 34 years	Primary, lower secondary	2025	124	90	7	7.3	84	34
Total male and female	30 to 34 years	Upper secondary	2025	399	358	11	3.1	347	40
Total male and female	30 to 34 years	Tertiary	2025	668	637	16	2.5	621	31
Total male and female	30 to 34 years	Unknown	2025	8	5	0	.	5	3
Total male and female	35 to 39 years	Total	2025	1,155	1,036	27	2.6	1,009	119
Total male and female	35 to 39 years	Primary, lower secondary	2025	162	117	6	5.6	110	45
Total male and female	35 to 39 years	Upper secondary	2025	370	329	8	2.3	321	42
Total male and female	35 to 39 years	Tertiary	2025	613	583	13	2.2	571	29
Total male and female	35 to 39 years	Unknown	2025	10	7	0	.	7	3
Total male and female	40 to 44 years	Total	2025	1,078	960	28	2.9	933	118
Total male and female	40 to 44 years	Primary, lower secondary	2025	175	131	5	3.7	126	44
Total male and female	40 to 44 years	Upper secondary	2025	351	312	9	2.9	303	40
Total male and female	40 to 44 years	Tertiary	2025	543	512	14	2.7	498	31
Total male and female	40 to 44 years	Unknown	2025	10	6	0	.	6	3
Total male and female	45 to 49 years	Total	2025	1,040	917	19	2.0	899	123
Total male and female	45 to 49 years	Primary, lower secondary	2025	174	127	4	2.8	123	47
Total male and female	45 to 49 years	Upper secondary	2025	367	323	6	2.0	316	44
Total male and female	45 to 49 years	Tertiary	2025	491	463	9	1.9	454	28
Total male and female	45 to 49 years	Unknown	2025	8	5	0	.	5	3
Total male and female	50 to 54 years	Total	2025	1,159	1,002	25	2.5	977	157
Total male and female	50 to 54 years	Primary, lower secondary	2025	236	174	5	3.0	169	63
Total male and female	50 to 54 years	Upper secondary	2025	431	375	8	2.2	367	56
Total male and female	50 to 54 years	Tertiary	2025	482	446	11	2.4	435	35
Total male and female	50 to 54 years	Unknown	2025	10	6	0	.	6	3
Total male and female	55 to 59 years	Total	2025	1,259	1,055	24	2.3	1,031	205
Total male and female	55 to 59 years	Primary, lower secondary	2025	324	233	5	2.0	229	91
Total male and female	55 to 59 years	Upper secondary	2025	498	431	9	2.1	422	67
Total male and female	55 to 59 years	Tertiary	2025	425	384	10	2.6	374	41
Total male and female	55 to 59 years	Unknown	2025	13	6	0	.	6	6
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 and not in the labour force

People who are part of the employed labour force, the unemployed labour force or who are not in the 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 75 years old. Paid work is regardless of the hours worked.

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.

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.

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.

Unemployed labour force: People who don’t have paid work, recently looked for work and are directly available for it.

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.

Unemployment rate: The unemployed labour force as a percentage of the (employed and 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.

Not in the labour force

People who don’t have paid work, who haven’t recently looked for work recently or are not directly available for it.

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.