Labour participation; key figures

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Labour participation; key figures
Sex Age Highest educational level Periods Labour force Employed labour force Professional status Self-employed person Contributing family worker (x 1 000)
Total male and female 15 to 74 years Total 2023 29
Total male and female 15 to 74 years 1 Lower education 2023 11
Total male and female 15 to 74 years 2 Intermediate education 2023 12
Total male and female 15 to 74 years 3 Higher education 2023 6
Total male and female 15 to 74 years Unknown 2023 0
Total male and female 15 to 24 years Total 2023 5
Total male and female 15 to 24 years 1 Lower education 2023 2
Total male and female 15 to 24 years 2 Intermediate education 2023 2
Total male and female 15 to 24 years 3 Higher education 2023 0
Total male and female 15 to 24 years Unknown 2023 0
Total male and female 15 to 64 years Total 2023 22
Total male and female 15 to 64 years 1 Lower education 2023 9
Total male and female 15 to 64 years 2 Intermediate education 2023 9
Total male and female 15 to 64 years 3 Higher education 2023 4
Total male and female 15 to 64 years Unknown 2023 0
Total male and female 25 to 44 years Total 2023 5
Total male and female 25 to 44 years 1 Lower education 2023 1
Total male and female 25 to 44 years 2 Intermediate education 2023 2
Total male and female 25 to 44 years 3 Higher education 2023 2
Total male and female 25 to 44 years Unknown 2023 0
Total male and female 25 to 34 years Total 2023 2
Total male and female 25 to 34 years 1 Lower education 2023 0
Total male and female 25 to 34 years 2 Intermediate education 2023 1
Total male and female 25 to 34 years 3 Higher education 2023 1
Total male and female 25 to 34 years Unknown 2023 0
Total male and female 35 to 44 years Total 2023 2
Total male and female 35 to 44 years 1 Lower education 2023 1
Total male and female 35 to 44 years 2 Intermediate education 2023 1
Total male and female 35 to 44 years 3 Higher education 2023 1
Total male and female 35 to 44 years Unknown 2023 0
Total male and female 45 to 54 years Total 2023 5
Total male and female 45 to 54 years 1 Lower education 2023 1
Total male and female 45 to 54 years 2 Intermediate education 2023 3
Total male and female 45 to 54 years 3 Higher education 2023 2
Total male and female 45 to 54 years Unknown 2023 0
Total male and female 45 to 64 years Total 2023 13
Total male and female 45 to 64 years 1 Lower education 2023 5
Total male and female 45 to 64 years 2 Intermediate education 2023 5
Total male and female 45 to 64 years 3 Higher education 2023 2
Total male and female 45 to 64 years Unknown 2023 0
Total male and female 45 to 74 years Total 2023 19
Total male and female 45 to 74 years 1 Lower education 2023 8
Total male and female 45 to 74 years 2 Intermediate education 2023 8
Total male and female 45 to 74 years 3 Higher education 2023 4
Total male and female 45 to 74 years Unknown 2023 0
Total male and female 55 to 64 years Total 2023 8
Total male and female 55 to 64 years 1 Lower education 2023 4
Total male and female 55 to 64 years 2 Intermediate education 2023 3
Total male and female 55 to 64 years 3 Higher education 2023 1
Total male and female 55 to 64 years Unknown 2023 0
Total male and female 65 to 74 years Total 2023 6
Total male and female 65 to 74 years 1 Lower education 2023 3
Total male and female 65 to 74 years 2 Intermediate education 2023 2
Total male and female 65 to 74 years 3 Higher education 2023 1
Total male and female 65 to 74 years Unknown 2023 0
Total male and female 15 to 19 years Total 2023 2
Total male and female 15 to 19 years 1 Lower education 2023 2
Total male and female 15 to 19 years 2 Intermediate education 2023 0
Total male and female 15 to 19 years 3 Higher education 2023 0
Total male and female 15 to 19 years Unknown 2023 0
Total male and female 20 to 24 years Total 2023 2
Total male and female 20 to 24 years 1 Lower education 2023 1
Total male and female 20 to 24 years 2 Intermediate education 2023 1
Total male and female 20 to 24 years 3 Higher education 2023 0
Total male and female 20 to 24 years Unknown 2023 0
Total male and female 25 to 29 years Total 2023 1
Total male and female 25 to 29 years 1 Lower education 2023 0
Total male and female 25 to 29 years 2 Intermediate education 2023 0
Total male and female 25 to 29 years 3 Higher education 2023 0
Total male and female 25 to 29 years Unknown 2023 0
Total male and female 30 to 34 years Total 2023 1
Total male and female 30 to 34 years 1 Lower education 2023 0
Total male and female 30 to 34 years 2 Intermediate education 2023 1
Total male and female 30 to 34 years 3 Higher education 2023 0
Total male and female 30 to 34 years Unknown 2023 0
Total male and female 35 to 39 years Total 2023 1
Total male and female 35 to 39 years 1 Lower education 2023 0
Total male and female 35 to 39 years 2 Intermediate education 2023 0
Total male and female 35 to 39 years 3 Higher education 2023 1
Total male and female 35 to 39 years Unknown 2023 0
Total male and female 40 to 44 years Total 2023 1
Total male and female 40 to 44 years 1 Lower education 2023 0
Total male and female 40 to 44 years 2 Intermediate education 2023 1
Total male and female 40 to 44 years 3 Higher education 2023 1
Total male and female 40 to 44 years Unknown 2023 0
Total male and female 45 to 49 years Total 2023 2
Total male and female 45 to 49 years 1 Lower education 2023 0
Total male and female 45 to 49 years 2 Intermediate education 2023 1
Total male and female 45 to 49 years 3 Higher education 2023 1
Total male and female 45 to 49 years Unknown 2023 0
Total male and female 50 to 54 years Total 2023 3
Total male and female 50 to 54 years 1 Lower education 2023 1
Total male and female 50 to 54 years 2 Intermediate education 2023 1
Total male and female 50 to 54 years 3 Higher education 2023 1
Total male and female 50 to 54 years Unknown 2023 0
Total male and female 55 to 59 years Total 2023 3
Total male and female 55 to 59 years 1 Lower education 2023 2
Total male and female 55 to 59 years 2 Intermediate education 2023 2
Total male and female 55 to 59 years 3 Higher education 2023 0
Total male and female 55 to 59 years Unknown 2023 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.

Contributing family worker
A person who works, not on the basis of a an explicit employment contract, in the company or practice of the partner or parents.

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