Employed PhD graduates; labour characteristics
| Sex | Margins | PhD characteristics | Periods | Employed as researcher (%) | Work related to PhD research (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total male and female | Value | Total | 2019 | 79.0 | 68.5 |
| Total male and female | Value | Time since PhD: 5 years or less | 2019 | 79.8 | 66.6 |
| Total male and female | Value | Time since PhD: more than 5 years | 2019 | 77.1 | 73.4 |
| Total male and female | Value | 01 Education | 2019 | 79.5 | 83.4 |
| Total male and female | Value | 02 Design, arts, language and history | 2019 | 79.4 | 66.8 |
| Total male and female | Value | 03 Journalism, social, behavioural sc... | 2019 | 84.0 | 75.0 |
| Total male and female | Value | 04 Law, business, administration, trade | 2019 | 78.3 | 74.9 |
| Total male and female | Value | 05 Mathematics, physical sciences | 2019 | 84.6 | 60.8 |
| Total male and female | Value | 06 Computing | 2019 | 90.8 | 72.8 |
| Total male and female | Value | 07 Engineering, manufacturing, con... | 2019 | 86.3 | 68.0 |
| Total male and female | Value | 08 Agriculture, veterinary medicine, ... | 2019 | 86.9 | 70.9 |
| Total male and female | Value | 09 Health and welfare | 2019 | 68.3 | 69.7 |
| Total male and female | Value | 10 Services | 2019 | . | . |
| Total male and female | Value | Type of education is unknown | 2019 | 77.0 | 69.3 |
| Total male and female | Lower bound 95% confidence interval | Total | 2019 | 78.2 | 67.5 |
| Total male and female | Lower bound 95% confidence interval | Time since PhD: 5 years or less | 2019 | 78.8 | 65.5 |
| Total male and female | Lower bound 95% confidence interval | Time since PhD: more than 5 years | 2019 | 75.5 | 71.8 |
| Total male and female | Lower bound 95% confidence interval | 01 Education | 2019 | 73.1 | 77.5 |
| Total male and female | Lower bound 95% confidence interval | 02 Design, arts, language and history | 2019 | 75.3 | 62.2 |
| Total male and female | Lower bound 95% confidence interval | 03 Journalism, social, behavioural sc... | 2019 | 81.9 | 72.6 |
| Total male and female | Lower bound 95% confidence interval | 04 Law, business, administration, trade | 2019 | 75.1 | 71.4 |
| Total male and female | Lower bound 95% confidence interval | 05 Mathematics, physical sciences | 2019 | 83.2 | 58.9 |
| Total male and female | Lower bound 95% confidence interval | 06 Computing | 2019 | 86.7 | 66.9 |
| Total male and female | Lower bound 95% confidence interval | 07 Engineering, manufacturing, con... | 2019 | 84.1 | 65.1 |
| Total male and female | Lower bound 95% confidence interval | 08 Agriculture, veterinary medicine, ... | 2019 | 81.3 | 64.0 |
| Total male and female | Lower bound 95% confidence interval | 09 Health and welfare | 2019 | 66.6 | 68.0 |
| Total male and female | Lower bound 95% confidence interval | 10 Services | 2019 | . | . |
| Total male and female | Lower bound 95% confidence interval | Type of education is unknown | 2019 | 70.8 | 62.6 |
| Total male and female | Upper bound 95% confidence interval | Total | 2019 | 79.8 | 69.4 |
| Total male and female | Upper bound 95% confidence interval | Time since PhD: 5 years or less | 2019 | 80.7 | 67.7 |
| Total male and female | Upper bound 95% confidence interval | Time since PhD: more than 5 years | 2019 | 78.6 | 75.0 |
| Total male and female | Upper bound 95% confidence interval | 01 Education | 2019 | 84.7 | 88.0 |
| Total male and female | Upper bound 95% confidence interval | 02 Design, arts, language and history | 2019 | 83.0 | 71.2 |
| Total male and female | Upper bound 95% confidence interval | 03 Journalism, social, behavioural sc... | 2019 | 85.9 | 77.3 |
| Total male and female | Upper bound 95% confidence interval | 04 Law, business, administration, trade | 2019 | 81.2 | 78.0 |
| Total male and female | Upper bound 95% confidence interval | 05 Mathematics, physical sciences | 2019 | 86.0 | 62.6 |
| Total male and female | Upper bound 95% confidence interval | 06 Computing | 2019 | 93.8 | 78.0 |
| Total male and female | Upper bound 95% confidence interval | 07 Engineering, manufacturing, con... | 2019 | 88.3 | 70.7 |
| Total male and female | Upper bound 95% confidence interval | 08 Agriculture, veterinary medicine, ... | 2019 | 91.0 | 77.0 |
| Total male and female | Upper bound 95% confidence interval | 09 Health and welfare | 2019 | 70.0 | 71.3 |
| Total male and female | Upper bound 95% confidence interval | 10 Services | 2019 | . | . |
| Total male and female | Upper bound 95% confidence interval | Type of education is unknown | 2019 | 82.1 | 75.2 |
| Sex: male | Value | Total | 2019 | 83.2 | 69.6 |
| Sex: male | Value | Time since PhD: 5 years or less | 2019 | 83.4 | 68.0 |
| Sex: male | Value | Time since PhD: more than 5 years | 2019 | 82.7 | 74.8 |
| Sex: male | Value | 01 Education | 2019 | . | . |
| Sex: male | Value | 02 Design, arts, language and history | 2019 | 82.2 | 67.5 |
| Sex: male | Value | 03 Journalism, social, behavioural sc... | 2019 | 89.8 | 79.2 |
| Sex: male | Value | 04 Law, business, administration, trade | 2019 | 78.6 | 77.8 |
| Sex: male | Value | 05 Mathematics, physical sciences | 2019 | 87.3 | 61.4 |
| Sex: male | Value | 06 Computing | 2019 | 91.7 | 73.5 |
| Sex: male | Value | 07 Engineering, manufacturing, con... | 2019 | 87.7 | 69.1 |
| Sex: male | Value | 08 Agriculture, veterinary medicine, ... | 2019 | 84.4 | 66.2 |
| Sex: male | Value | 09 Health and welfare | 2019 | 72.9 | 71.9 |
| Sex: male | Value | 10 Services | 2019 | . | . |
| Sex: male | Value | Type of education is unknown | 2019 | 78.6 | 76.6 |
| Sex: male | Lower bound 95% confidence interval | Total | 2019 | 82.2 | 68.4 |
| Sex: male | Lower bound 95% confidence interval | Time since PhD: 5 years or less | 2019 | 82.3 | 66.6 |
| Sex: male | Lower bound 95% confidence interval | Time since PhD: more than 5 years | 2019 | 80.5 | 72.3 |
| Sex: male | Lower bound 95% confidence interval | 01 Education | 2019 | . | . |
| Sex: male | Lower bound 95% confidence interval | 02 Design, arts, language and history | 2019 | 77.1 | 61.5 |
| Sex: male | Lower bound 95% confidence interval | 03 Journalism, social, behavioural sc... | 2019 | 87.1 | 75.9 |
| Sex: male | Lower bound 95% confidence interval | 04 Law, business, administration, trade | 2019 | 74.6 | 73.7 |
| Sex: male | Lower bound 95% confidence interval | 05 Mathematics, physical sciences | 2019 | 85.7 | 59.1 |
| Sex: male | Lower bound 95% confidence interval | 06 Computing | 2019 | 87.5 | 67.3 |
| Sex: male | Lower bound 95% confidence interval | 07 Engineering, manufacturing, con... | 2019 | 85.3 | 66.0 |
| Sex: male | Lower bound 95% confidence interval | 08 Agriculture, veterinary medicine, ... | 2019 | 77.1 | 57.6 |
| Sex: male | Lower bound 95% confidence interval | 09 Health and welfare | 2019 | 70.5 | 69.4 |
| Sex: male | Lower bound 95% confidence interval | 10 Services | 2019 | . | . |
| Sex: male | Lower bound 95% confidence interval | Type of education is unknown | 2019 | 69.0 | 67.1 |
| Sex: male | Upper bound 95% confidence interval | Total | 2019 | 84.1 | 70.7 |
| Sex: male | Upper bound 95% confidence interval | Time since PhD: 5 years or less | 2019 | 84.4 | 69.3 |
| Sex: male | Upper bound 95% confidence interval | Time since PhD: more than 5 years | 2019 | 84.6 | 77.1 |
| Sex: male | Upper bound 95% confidence interval | 01 Education | 2019 | . | . |
| Sex: male | Upper bound 95% confidence interval | 02 Design, arts, language and history | 2019 | 86.3 | 72.9 |
| Sex: male | Upper bound 95% confidence interval | 03 Journalism, social, behavioural sc... | 2019 | 92.0 | 82.2 |
| Sex: male | Upper bound 95% confidence interval | 04 Law, business, administration, trade | 2019 | 82.1 | 81.4 |
| Sex: male | Upper bound 95% confidence interval | 05 Mathematics, physical sciences | 2019 | 88.8 | 63.6 |
| Sex: male | Upper bound 95% confidence interval | 06 Computing | 2019 | 94.6 | 78.9 |
| Sex: male | Upper bound 95% confidence interval | 07 Engineering, manufacturing, con... | 2019 | 89.7 | 72.1 |
| Sex: male | Upper bound 95% confidence interval | 08 Agriculture, veterinary medicine, ... | 2019 | 89.7 | 73.9 |
| Sex: male | Upper bound 95% confidence interval | 09 Health and welfare | 2019 | 75.2 | 74.2 |
| Sex: male | Upper bound 95% confidence interval | 10 Services | 2019 | . | . |
| Sex: male | Upper bound 95% confidence interval | Type of education is unknown | 2019 | 85.8 | 84.0 |
| Sex: female | Value | Total | 2019 | 72.7 | 66.8 |
| Sex: female | Value | Time since PhD: 5 years or less | 2019 | 73.5 | 64.2 |
| Sex: female | Value | Time since PhD: more than 5 years | 2019 | 71.1 | 72.0 |
| Sex: female | Value | 01 Education | 2019 | 76.8 | 84.4 |
| Sex: female | Value | 02 Design, arts, language and history | 2019 | 74.6 | 65.7 |
| Sex: female | Value | 03 Journalism, social, behavioural sc... | 2019 | 78.4 | 71.0 |
| Sex: female | Value | 04 Law, business, administration, trade | 2019 | 77.8 | 68.9 |
| Sex: female | Value | 05 Mathematics, physical sciences | 2019 | 78.7 | 59.3 |
| Sex: female | Value | 06 Computing | 2019 | . | . |
| Sex: female | Value | 07 Engineering, manufacturing, con... | 2019 | 80.4 | 63.1 |
| Sex: female | Value | 08 Agriculture, veterinary medicine, ... | 2019 | . | . |
| Sex: female | Value | 09 Health and welfare | 2019 | 64.0 | 67.6 |
| Sex: female | Value | 10 Services | 2019 | . | . |
| Sex: female | Value | Type of education is unknown | 2019 | 75.4 | 62.4 |
| Sex: female | Lower bound 95% confidence interval | Total | 2019 | 71.3 | 65.3 |
| Sex: female | Lower bound 95% confidence interval | Time since PhD: 5 years or less | 2019 | 71.7 | 62.3 |
| Source: CBS. | |||||
Table explanation
This table shows figures on labour characteristics of employed PhD graduates after their PhD-track, by sex and PhD characteristics (time since receiving PhD and discipline).
The figures come from the periodically recurring Careers of Doctorate Holders survey. Data from the 2019 survey are published for the first time on Statline. The survey was also conducted in 2010 and 2014. The target population consists of all individuals who have obtained their PhD at a university affiliated with the Universities of the Netherlands (UNL) since the academic year 1990/’91, who were under the age of 70 at the time of the survey, and who were residing in the Netherlands according to the Basic Registration of Persons (BRP) at that time.
Data available from: 2019.
Status of the figures:
The figures in this table are definite.
Changes as of December 24, 2025:
None, this is a new table.
When will new figures be published?
New figures from GPE 2025 will be published in the first quarter of 2026.
Description topics
- Employed as researcher
- A person who indicates in the questionnaire that they perform one or more of the following activities in their primary job:
— Developing new knowledge;
— Devising or developing new products;
— Devising or developing new processes, methods, or systems;
— Leading research projects. - Work related to PhD research
- A person who indicates in the questionnaire that their current postdoc appointment or current primary job is partly or strongly related to their PhD research.