Unemployment down in April

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© CBS
In April, 343 thousand people aged 15 to 74 years were unemployed. This is 3.4 percent of the labour force. From February through April, unemployment declined by an average of 6 thousand per month. In the same period, the employed labour force rose by an average of 9 thousand per month to 9.7 million. This means that 73.1 percent of the population in this age group were in paid employment. Statistics Netherlands (CBS) reports this based on new figures on the Dutch labour force. At the end of April, the Employee Insurance Agency (UWV) recorded 156 thousand current unemployment (WW) benefits.

In April, 3.6 million people aged 15 to 74 years did not have paid work for a variety of reasons. Aside from the unemployed, 3.2 million people were not looking and/or immediately available for work; they are not counted towards the labour force. These are mainly retirees and people unable to work due to illness or disability. From February through April, the number of people outside the labour force fell slightly by an average of 2 thousand per month.

Unemployment and WW unemployment benefits
   Unemployment indicator (ILO) (15 to 74 yrs, seasonally adjusted) (x 1,000)WW unemployment benefits (15 yrs up to state pension age) (x 1,000)
2012January595292
2012February586299
2012March593296
2012April618292
2012May609291
2012June609291
2012July623298
2012August620304
2012September634304
2012October644310
2012November655322
2012December676340
2013January692369
2013February707377
2013March728380
2013April734380
2013May747378
2013June766382
2013July782395
2013August783399
2013September783400
2013October782408
2013November772419
2013December779438
2014January786460
2014February800460
2014March794454
2014April787443
2014May775436
2014June757431
2014July746437
2014August738430
2014September733420
2014October738419
2014November742425
2014December753441
2015January760458
2015February747455
2015March745443
2015April743427
2015May732416
2015June725410
2015July708420
2015August708420
2015September712417
2015October722421
2015November703427
2015December695446
2016January680465
2016February688469
2016March680470
2016April679461
2016May668448
2016June656438
2016July648432
2016August628427
2016September617424
2016October609420
2016November607410
2016December590412
2017January588419
2017February582416
2017March571415
2017April563401
2017May564386
2017June555372
2017July544364
2017August534362
2017September529351
2017October511343
2017November504337
2017December503330
2018January487335
2018February474330
2018March465327
2018April463314
2018May460301
2018June463288
2018July458279
2018August463278
2018September451274
2018October444269
2018November433267
2018December437263
2019January437279
2019February419274
2019March416268
2019April409257
2019May411251
2019June423243
2019July424234
2019August432237
2019September432233
2019October432233
2019November434228
2019December409223
2020January390241
2020February383240
2020March388250
2020April427292
2020May439301
2020June513301
2020July532301
2020August533292
2020September519278
2020October509278
2020November485276
2020December476286
2021January448289
2021February450286
2021March439282
2021April427266
2021May419250
2021June405238
2021July393224
2021August406213
2021September399208
2021October382199
2021November359189
2021December369192
2022January354193
2022February336188
2022March327184
2022April316175
2022May323165
2022June339161
2022July353157
2022August378152
2022September382152
2022October365150
2022November364145
2022December352149
2023January360154
2023February356154
2023March357158
2023April343156

Unemployment lowest among the over-45s

The unemployment rate is lowest among the labour force aged 45 years and over. It stood at 2.1 percent in April, the lowest rate in the series of figures as of 2003. This is equivalent to 87 thousand unemployed over-45s, also the lowest number in two decades.

Among young people (15 to 24 years), 7.9 percent of the labour force were unemployed. The unemployment rate is generally highest in this age group. The lowest point was reached in April last year: 6.9 percent. In that month, unemployment among the entire labour force was the lowest as well. Among 25 to 44-year-olds, the unemployment rate in April last year stood at 2.5 percent. In April 2023, it amounted to 2.8 percent.

Long-term unemployment declined further

With the decline in unemployment among the over-45s, the share of long-term unemployed, i.e. those who have been looking for work for one year or more, also decreased. Long-term unemployment is generally most likely to occur among the over-45s. Unemployment among young people is more often short-term.

Of the unemployed in Q1 2023, 18 percent were long-term unemployed. This was still 43 percent at the start of 2015. After that, a gradual but continuous decline began. In Q2 2020, at the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, the share of short-term unemployed surged at once and the share of long-term unemployed thus decreased significantly. Subsequently, the proportion of long-term unemployed grew again to pre-pandemic levels at the end of 2021. The share has been falling again since then.

Unemployed labour force (15 to 74 yrs) by period of unemployment, seasonally adjusted (quarterly figures)
JaarKwartaal12 months or more (x 1,000)Under 12 months (x 1,000)
2013Q1232477
2013Q2258491
2013Q3279503
2013Q4280497
2014Q1293500
2014Q2291482
2014Q3291448
2014Q4306438
2015Q1321430
2015Q2310423
2015Q3289420
2015Q4283424
2016Q1272411
2016Q2266402
2016Q3244387
2016Q4236366
2017Q1220361
2017Q2205356
2017Q3192344
2017Q4177329
2018Q1160316
2018Q2153309
2018Q3146311
2018Q4131307
2019Q1125299
2019Q2104310
2019Q3109321
2019Q4105320
2020Q193294
2020Q277382
2020Q3100428
2020Q4104386
2021Q199346
2021Q296321
2021Q390309
2021Q491279
2022Q183255
2022Q277250
2022Q373299
2022Q467292
2023Q166291

UWV: fewer WW benefits in April

At the end of April 2023, UWV provided 156 thousand current WW benefits. This is 1.9 thousand fewer than in the preceding month (-1.2 percent). In April, 18.7 thousand WW benefits were terminated and 16.8 thousand new benefits were granted. Furthermore, in April 17.1 percent of WW recipients had been receiving benefits for one year or more. This is less than one year previously, when the percentage was 24.1 percent.

UWV: fewer WW benefits in nearly all sectors

The number of current WW benefits decreased in nearly all sectors in April. The largest decline was seen in temporary employment (-4.2 percent), agriculture (-3.8 percent) and construction (-3.4 percent). Three sectors saw a slight increase in benefits in April, namely the public sector (+0.3 percent), wholesale trade (+0.5 percent) and other commercial services (+1.5 percent).

Inflow of unemployed from non-labour force slightly lower again

In April, there were 17 thousand fewer unemployed than three months previously (i.e. a decrease of 6 thousand per month on average). This decline is the result of underlying flows between the employed, unemployed and non-labour force. This is visualised in the diagram below. The chart below the diagram shows how these different flows have developed over the past few months.

The graphics show there are two flows that can reduce unemployment. The first flow is when unemployed people find a job; the second flow is when unemployed people stop seeking work and withdraw from the labour market. There are also two opposite flows, which can increase unemployment. These occur when people in employment lose their jobs and when people who did not enter the labour market before start seeking work. If they do not find work immediately, they become part of the unemployed labour force.

Unemployment in April declined because the number of people in work who became unemployed was smaller than the number of unemployed who found a job. In April, this balance stood at -40 thousand, which was higher than in the previous month.

Unemployment in April increased due to the inflow of unemployed from outside the labour force. This increase amounted to 23 thousand on balance, which is lower than in the previous month.

Every month, CBS publishes figures on the labour force in accordance with guidelines of the International Labour Organization (ILO). The corresponding indicators, i.e. the employed and unemployed labour force, are used around the world to describe cyclical developments on the labour market. Monthly figures are essential in this respect. In addition, UWV issues its own monthly figures on unemployment benefits. Figures released by UWV do not correspond one-to-one with the labour force indicators.