Unemployment of non-western foreigners hardly rose in 2005

According to the latest year figures from Statistics Netherlands, unemployment among non-western foreigners in the Netherlands hardly rose in 2005. For native Dutch people, too, unemployment remained at about the same level. Non-western foreigners were three times as likely as the Dutch to be unemployed. This ratio has not changed since 2001.

Unemployment hardly up for non-westerners

In 2005 6.5 percent of the total labour force in the Netherlands was unemployed. For population groups with a non-western background the rate was more than 16 percent. Unemployment among these groups was at about the same level as one year previously.

The growth rate of unemployment among non-western foreigners fell to nearly zero in 2005. In the period 2001-2004 unemployment rose sharply.

Just over 5 percent of native Dutch people were unemployed in 2005. This is the same proportion as in 2004. Unemployment among western foreigners was higher than in the previous year. More than 9 percent were unemployed, up from just over 8 percent in 2004. 

Slightly more young non-western foreigners unemployed

In 2005 26 thousand non-western foreigners in the age group 15-24 years were unemployed. This is the equivalent of 26 percent of the young non-western labour force in the Netherlands. In 2004 nearly 23 percent were unemployed.

Unemployment among their native Dutch peers was much lower. In 2005 11 percent were unemployed, slightly fewer than one year previously. Since 2001 young people in the Netherlands with a non-western background are more than twice as likely as native Dutch people to be unemployed.

Unemployment among non-westerners aged 25 years and older is also substantially higher than among Dutch people of the same age. In 2005 15 percent of non-western foreigners aged 25-44 years were out of work, compared with just over 4 percent of native Dutch people. Non-westerners are therefore three times as likely as Dutch people to be out of work.

Unemployment highest among Moroccans

Of all non-western population groups in the Netherlands, Moroccans had the highest rate of unemployment in 2005: 20 percent. Among Antilleans and Arubans, too, unemployment was high at 18 percent. The rates were much lower for Turks and Surinamese, namely 14 and 12 percent respectively. Unemployment among the other non-western groups was very high at 19 percent.