Number of job vacancies continues to grow
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- 135 thousand open vacancies
- Notable growth in sectors ICT, manufacturing industry and care
- Labour market more dynamic
According to the latest figures released by Statistics Netherlands, 135 thousand vacancies were unfilled at the end of March this year, i.e. an increase by 7 thousand relative to the preceding quarter. Nearly all sectors contributed to the increase. The amount of job vacancies has steadily grown since the first quarter of 2010.
By the end of the first quarter of 2011, there were 79 thousand vacancies in the sector commercial services, 4 thousand more than by the end of the fourth quarter of 2010. The sectors ICT and business services largely account for employment growth. In manufacturing industry, the number of vacancies grew further to 14 thousand.
The sector non-commercial services saw the number of vacancies rise for the first time in two and a half years to reach 33 thousand. The care sector accounts for the growth (19 thousand open vacancies at the end of March). The number of vacancies in the public sector has stabilised.
The labour market is more dynamic. In the first quarter of this year, 197 thousand job vacancies were created, 23 thousand more than in the same period in 2010. Apart from an increase in vacancies, more people managed to find new jobs. The amount of filled vacancies was 186 thousand in the first quarter of 2011, i.e. 10 thousand more than in the same period in 2010.