employment further down
The loss of employee jobs continued in the first quarter of this year;32 thousand jobs of employees were lost relative to the fourth quarter of 2013. After a modest loss by 4 thousand in the fourth quarter of 2013, the number of jobs lost in the first quarter of this year was again quite substantial. Employment has been in decline for nearly three years now. Figures about quarter-on-quarter developments are adjusted for seasonal variation.
Jobs of employees, seasonally adjusted
In the first quarter, the number of employee jobs was 112 thousand down from the same period in 2013, a reduction by 1.5 percent. Jobs were lost across nearly all sectors. The sectors health care and welfare (43 thousand) and construction (23 thousand) were hit hardest. In the sector trade, transport, hotels and restaurants employment was down by 14 thousand. The number of jobs in the sector business services, on the other hand, was up by 13 thousand from twelve months previously. This was due to a higher demand for temp workers.
Altogether, there were more than 7.6 million full-time and part-time employee jobs in the Netherlands in the first quarter. The number of labour years (defined as the number of jobs converted to full-time equivalents) stood at nearly 5.7 million, i.e. 1.6 percent down from twelve months previously.
Growth rate of jobs and economic growth
More figures can be found in dossier Business cycle.
For more information on economic indicators, the reader is referred to the Economic Monitor.