Unemployment rate up in August

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© ANP / Patricia Rehe
There were 401 thousand people unemployed in August 2025. This means that 3.9 percent of the labour force (aged 15 to 74 years) were unemployed. In July, this was 3.8 percent. The number of unemployed persons has risen by an average of 5 thousand per month over the past three months. This was mainly a result of more people seeking work but not finding it immediately. Statistics Netherlands (CBS) reports this on the basis of newly released figures. At the end of August, the Employee Insurance Agency (UWV) records included 187 thousand current unemployment (WW) benefits.

In addition to the 401 thousand people who were unemployed, 3.2 million people were not actively seeking work or not immediately available for work in August. 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 fallen by an average of 9 thousand per month. The number of people in paid employment rose, by an average of 2 thousand per month over the same period.

UWV: number of recipients of unemployment benefit remained almost unchanged

At the end of August 2025, the Employee Insurance Agency (UWV) recorded 187.4 thousand current unemployment (WW) benefits, up by 0.2 thousand on the previous month. In August, 21.8 thousand new unemployment benefits were issued and 22.1 thousand benefits were terminated.

Unemployment rate 2.5 percent among people aged 45 and over

The unemployment rate among people aged 45 and over in the labour force increased to 2.5 percent last month. The rate has not been this high since December 2022. It subsequently fell to 2.1 percent in December 2024, and has been rising since then.

Among people aged 25 to 44, the unemployment rate in December 2024 stood at 3.0 percent and has been rising since then, to 3.3 percent in August. However, among people aged 15 to 24, the unemployment rate fluctuated slightly more in the past few months. It stood at 8.6 percent in August, which was slightly lower than it was in December 2024.

Unemployment rose because more people were seeking work

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 is when an unemployed person finds a job. The second is when an unemployed person stops seeking work and leaves the labour market. In August, 232 thousand people who had been unemployed three months previously, found employment.

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 August was (rounded) 248 thousand. Over the past three months, there has been an increase in the number of people who started seeking work from the nonworking population, and who did not find work immediately.

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 publishes its own monthly figures on unemployment benefit. The figures released by UWV do not correspond directly with the labour force indicators.

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