Employment  recovers further

The number of jobs of employees was 34 thousand higher in the fourth quarter of 2010 than in the fourth quarter of 2009. For the first time after eighteen months of decline, employment was higher than in the same quarter one year previously.

Altogether (full-time plus part-time jobs), there were nearly 7.9 million employee jobs in the Netherlands in the fourth quarter of 2010. Converted to full-time equivalents, there were 5.9 million jobs, a marginal growth relative to one year ago.

Employment is subject to seasonal variation. After adjusting for seasonal effects, the number of jobs in the fourth quarter was 0.3 percent higher than in the third quarter. In comparison to the previous quarter, employment grew for the third consecutive quarter. The number of jobs increased most notably in the sector temp agencies. In the current stage of economic recovery, employers prefer to hire temp workers.

In the fourth quarter of 2010, wages per labour year were 1.5 percent higher than in the same quarter one year previously. The increase is well above the 1.1 percent rise in collectively negotiated wages. Total wage costs per labour year were higher than wages of employees, because employers had to pay more for unemployment and health insurance provisions. In total, labour costs were 1.8 percent up on the fourth quarter of 2009.

Growth rate jobs and economic growth

More figures can be found in dossier Business cycle.