Unemployment unchanged at 3.7 percent in December

These are the most recent figures on this topic. View the previous figures here.
© ANP / Anton Kappers
Unemployment stood at 373 thousand in December 2024. That is 3.7 percent of the labour force, the same as in the four previous months. The number of people in paid employment has risen by an average of 12 thousand per month over the past three months, reaching 9.8 million in December. Statistics Netherlands (CBS) reports this based on newly released figures. The Employee Insurance Agency (UWV) recorded 175 thousand current unemployment (WW) benefits at the end of 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.

Unemployment and unemployment benefits
jaarmaandUnemployment (ILO) (15 - 74 yrs, seasonally adjusted) (x 1,000)Unemployment benefits (15 yrs-state pension age) (x 1,000)
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
2023May353151
2023June353153
2023July362152
2023August364156
2023September371155
2023October361156
2023November357160
2023December361161
2024January368167
2024February379174
2024March371175
2024April375170
2024May367171
2024June370168
2024July370164
2024August374171
2024September377172
2024October376179
2024November372177
2024December373175

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).