Labour participation; key figures

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Age Highest educational level 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)
15 to 74 years Total 5,084 1,518 836 682 3,244 1,373 1,870
Primary, lower secondary 786 594 377 217 530 273 256
Upper secondary 1,735 601 302 300 1,306 605 701
Tertiary 2,528 317 155 162 1,397 489 909
Unknown 35 6 2 4 10 6 4
15 to 24 years Total 388 843 544 299 422 214 208
Primary, lower secondary 92 408 296 112 124 71 53
Upper secondary 181 348 202 147 223 109 114
Tertiary 115 86 46 40 74 33 41
Unknown 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
15 to 64 years Total 4,967 1,358 731 628 3,097 1,288 1,810
Primary, lower secondary 753 538 341 197 483 245 238
Upper secondary 1,694 554 271 283 1,251 574 677
Tertiary 2,487 261 116 144 1,354 463 891
Unknown 33 6 2 4 9 5 4
25 to 44 years Total 2,453 224 82 142 1,346 496 851
Primary, lower secondary 247 38 13 25 106 49 57
Upper secondary 748 88 30 59 477 204 273
Tertiary 1,438 97 39 58 760 241 519
Unknown 20 1 0 1 3 1 2
25 to 34 years Total 1,335 117 46 72 628 216 412
Primary, lower secondary 99 15 5 9 42 17 24
Upper secondary 406 48 18 30 241 100 141
Tertiary 825 54 22 32 344 98 246
Unknown 5 1 0 0 1 0 1
35 to 44 years Total 1,118 107 36 71 719 280 439
Primary, lower secondary 148 23 8 15 65 32 33
Upper secondary 342 40 12 29 236 104 132
Tertiary 613 43 16 27 416 143 273
Unknown 15 0 0 0 2 1 1
45 to 54 years Total 1,114 112 40 72 639 266 373
Primary, lower secondary 177 32 12 20 83 41 41
Upper secondary 385 43 14 28 250 118 131
Tertiary 545 35 13 22 304 105 199
Unknown 8 3 1 2 2 1 1
45 to 64 years Total 2,125 291 105 186 1,329 578 751
Primary, lower secondary 414 92 32 60 252 124 128
Upper secondary 764 117 40 77 551 261 290
Tertiary 934 77 31 46 519 189 330
Unknown 13 4 1 3 6 4 2
45 to 74 years Total 2,242 451 210 241 1,475 664 811
Primary, lower secondary 447 148 68 80 299 153 146
Upper secondary 805 165 71 94 606 292 314
Tertiary 976 133 70 63 563 214 348
Unknown 15 4 1 3 7 5 3
55 to 64 years Total 1,012 179 65 114 690 312 378
Primary, lower secondary 237 60 20 40 170 83 86
Upper secondary 379 75 26 49 302 143 159
Tertiary 390 42 19 24 215 84 131
Unknown 6 2 1 1 4 2 1
65 to 74 years Total 117 160 105 54 146 85 61
Primary, lower secondary 33 56 36 20 46 28 18
Upper secondary 41 47 30 17 55 31 24
Tertiary 41 56 39 17 43 25 18
Unknown 2 0 0 0 1 1 0
15 to 19 years Total 69 521 372 149 138 87 51
Primary, lower secondary 40 381 283 98 80 50 30
Upper secondary 28 136 88 48 56 36 20
Tertiary 1 4 1 2 2 1 0
Unknown 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
20 to 24 years Total 320 322 172 150 285 127 157
Primary, lower secondary 52 27 13 14 44 22 23
Upper secondary 153 213 114 99 168 74 94
Tertiary 114 83 45 38 73 32 41
Unknown 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
25 to 29 years Total 677 68 28 40 279 95 184
Primary, lower secondary 47 7 2 5 20 8 12
Upper secondary 209 27 11 16 115 47 68
Tertiary 420 34 15 19 144 40 104
Unknown 1 0 0 0 0 0 0
30 to 34 years Total 658 49 18 31 349 121 228
Primary, lower secondary 53 7 3 4 22 9 13
Upper secondary 198 21 7 13 126 53 73
Tertiary 404 21 8 13 200 59 141
Unknown 3 1 0 0 1 0 1
35 to 39 years Total 583 55 19 35 373 135 238
Primary, lower secondary 68 13 5 8 30 14 16
Upper secondary 175 19 6 13 121 52 69
Tertiary 332 22 8 14 220 69 152
Unknown 8 0 0 0 1 1 1
40 to 44 years Total 535 52 16 36 346 145 201
Primary, lower secondary 81 10 3 7 34 17 17
Upper secondary 167 21 6 16 115 52 62
Tertiary 281 21 8 13 196 74 122
Unknown 7 0 0 0 0 0 0
45 to 49 years Total 536 49 18 31 312 126 186
Primary, lower secondary 75 10 4 6 36 17 18
Upper secondary 188 21 7 13 116 54 62
Tertiary 269 17 6 10 161 55 106
Unknown 4 1 0 1 0 0 0
50 to 54 years Total 578 63 21 42 326 139 187
Primary, lower secondary 102 21 7 14 47 24 23
Upper secondary 197 22 7 15 134 64 70
Tertiary 275 18 7 12 143 50 94
Unknown 4 2 0 1 2 1 1
55 to 59 years Total 602 79 27 52 353 157 196
Primary, lower secondary 125 26 8 18 79 37 42
Upper secondary 228 34 10 24 162 76 86
Tertiary 246 19 8 10 109 42 67
Unknown 3 1 1 0 3 2 1
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 October 30, 2025:
The figures for the 3rd quarter 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 January 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.

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 20 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 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.