Unemployment continues to rise
- Unemployment rises to 6.6 percent in September
- Unemployment benefits remain at same level as August
- More young people than last year claiming unemployment benefit
Figures published by Statistics Netherlands today show that seasonally adjusted unemployment rose by 5 thousand in September 2012, to 519 thousand.
According to figures published by the Institute for the Implementation of Employees’ Insurance (UWV), the number of people claiming unemployment benefit in September was 304 thousand, around the same number as in August.
Upward trend for both men and women
In September, 6.6 percent of the Dutch labour force were unemployed. One month previously this figure was 6.5 percent. In the last three months the number of unemployed rose by an average 8 thousand persons per month. In this period 5 thousand men and 3 thousand women per month joined the unemployed. As a result, 281 thousand men and 238 thousand women were unemployed in September.
More unemployment benefits in construction than last year
The number of people already claiming unemployment benefit, 304 thousand, remained around the same level in September as in August. In September the number of new benefits was about the same as the number benefits discontinued. Compared with September 2011 the number of people claiming unemployment benefit was 21 percent higher.
The number of people younger than 25 claiming benefit was 12 thousand in September. This is around the same level as in August, but more than one and a half times the number in September last year. Nearly three-quarters more unemployment benefits were being paid to construction workers than twelve months previously. The number of unemployment benefit claimants who used to work in construction is now more than 14 thousand.