Unemployment unchanged at 3.7 percent in December

Around 3.6 million people aged 15 to 74 were not in paid employment in December 2024. In addition to the 373 thousand people who were unemployed, 3.2 million people were not actively seeking work or not immediately available for work. Many of these are retirees and people who are unable to work due to illness or occupational disability. These people are not counted as part of the labour force. Averaged over the past three months, the number of people outside the labour force has risen by 2 thousand per month. Unemployment declined by 1 thousand per month, on average.
Slight recovery in labour force participation in November and December
The net labour participation rate was 73.1 percent in December. In June 2024, that was 73.4 percent of those of working age (15 to 74 years), but had fallen to 72.8 percent by October. Over the past two months, the labour force participation rate increased slightly again, however. The labour participation rate rose the most rapidly among young people.
jaar maand Unemployment (ILO) (15 - 74 yrs, seasonally adjusted) (x 1,000) Unemployment benefits (15 yrs-state pension age) (x 1,000) 2017 January 588 419 2017 February 582 416 2017 March 571 415 2017 April 563 401 2017 May 564 386 2017 June 555 372 2017 July 544 364 2017 August 534 362 2017 September 529 351 2017 October 511 343 2017 November 504 337 2017 December 503 330 2018 January 487 335 2018 February 474 330 2018 March 465 327 2018 April 463 314 2018 May 460 301 2018 June 463 288 2018 July 458 279 2018 August 463 278 2018 September 451 274 2018 October 444 269 2018 November 433 267 2018 December 437 263 2019 January 437 279 2019 February 419 274 2019 March 416 268 2019 April 409 257 2019 May 411 251 2019 June 423 243 2019 July 424 234 2019 August 432 237 2019 September 432 233 2019 October 432 233 2019 November 434 228 2019 December 409 223 2020 January 390 241 2020 February 383 240 2020 March 388 250 2020 April 427 292 2020 May 439 301 2020 June 513 301 2020 July 532 301 2020 August 533 292 2020 September 519 278 2020 October 509 278 2020 November 485 276 2020 December 476 286 2021 January 448 289 2021 February 450 286 2021 March 439 282 2021 April 427 266 2021 May 419 250 2021 June 405 238 2021 July 393 224 2021 August 406 213 2021 September 399 208 2021 October 382 199 2021 November 359 189 2021 December 369 192 2022 January 354 193 2022 February 336 188 2022 March 327 184 2022 April 316 175 2022 May 323 165 2022 June 339 161 2022 July 353 157 2022 August 378 152 2022 September 382 152 2022 October 365 150 2022 November 364 145 2022 December 352 149 2023 January 360 154 2023 February 356 154 2023 March 357 158 2023 April 343 156 2023 May 353 151 2023 June 353 153 2023 July 362 152 2023 August 364 156 2023 September 371 155 2023 October 361 156 2023 November 357 160 2023 December 361 161 2024 January 368 167 2024 February 379 174 2024 March 371 175 2024 April 375 170 2024 May 367 171 2024 June 370 168 2024 July 370 164 2024 August 374 171 2024 September 377 172 2024 October 376 179 2024 November 372 177 2024 December 373 175
UWV: number of unemployment benefits fell by 1.7 thousand in December
In December 2024, the Employee Insurance Agency (UWV) issued 174.8 thousand WW benefits. That was 1.7 thousand fewer than at the end of November (176.6 thousand). In December, 20.2 thousand benefits were terminated, while 18.4 thousand new benefits were granted. Compared to a year ago, the number of unemployment benefits was 8.7 percent higher at the end of December. The number of unemployment benefits fluctuated between 164 thousand (July) and 179 thousand (October) over the past 12 months.
UWV: fewer benefits in construction and employment agencies, in particular
In December, the number of unemployment benefits declined the most in construction (-5.9 percent), employment agencies (-5.1 percent), agriculture, forestry and fisheries sector (-4.2 percent) and banking and insurance (both -3.9 percent). Sectors with the largest increase in the number of recipients of unemployment benefit compared to last December are the metal industry, installation, vehicles (+25.3 percent), the public sector (+23.6 percent), education (+20.0 percent), the food, beverages and tobacco industry (+19.9 percent) and the chemical industry (+18.9 percent).
Fewer people becoming unemployed than are finding employment
Trends in unemployment are the result of underlying movements between those in employment, the unemployed and those who are not part of the labour force. This is visualised in the chart below. The graph below the chart shows the changes in these different flows over the past few years.
Unemployment can increase or decrease due to four different changes in people’s circumstances. Two of these can lead to lower unemployment. The first change occurs when an unemployed person finds a job. The second change occurs when an unemployed person stops seeking work and leaves the labour market. In December, there were 236 thousand people who had been unemployed three months earlier.
There are also two changes that can lead to higher unemployment. The first happens when an employed person loses their job and the second when a person who was previously unavailable for work decides to seek employment. If people in these groups do not find work immediately, they become part of the unemployed labour force. The total number of people who became unemployed in November was, at 232 thousand, lower than the number who ceased to be unemployed, at 236 thousand.
As a result, the number of unemployed persons fell slightly, by an average of 1 thousand per month over the past three months.
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 benefit. The figures released by UWV do not correspond directly with the labour force indicators. For more details on the different sources, see our technical explanation<link naar toelichting> (Dutch only).