Fewer unemployed people finding a new job quickly

Some 373 thousand people in the Netherlands were unemployed in the second quarter of 2009. One quarter later, 22 percent had found a new job. In the same period last year, this was the case for 26 percent of unemployed.

Position of unemployed still better than in 2003-2006

In the second quarter of both 2007 and 2008 the number of unemployed people who had found a new job of at least 12 hours a week by the end of the subsequent quarter rose. Although this number did fall in the second quarter of 2009, the percentage of unemployed who found a job quickly was still higher than in the period 2003-2006.

Unemployed people who had found a job of at least 12 hours a week by the end of the subsequent quarter

Largest decrease for young people

Relatively many young people without a job in the second quarter of 2009 found new work quite quickly. This was also the case in the same quarter last year, but then their situation was significantly better. Twenty-nine percent of 15-24 year-olds who were unemployed in the second quarter of 2009 had found a job three months later. In the second quarter of 2008 this was still as many as 38 percent. For 25-34 year-olds the percentage of people who found a job within three months fell from 36 to 26.

Hardly any difference for older unemployed

Unemployed people in the age group 55-64 years are least likely find a new job of at least twelve hours a week within three months. On the other hand, they were hardly any worse off compared with the same quarter last year. The positions of 45-54 year-old and 35-44-year-old unemployed people also hardly changed.

Unemployed people who had found a job of at least 12 hours a week by the end of the subsequent quarter, by age

Harry Bierings and Robert de Vries