Unemployment slightly up in April (2024)

16/05/2024 15:00

Over the past three months, the number of unemployed people has risen by an average of 2 thousand per month. In April, there were 375 thousand unemployed, equivalent to 3.7 percent of the labour force. Statistics Netherlands (CBS) reports this based on newly released figures. The rise in unemployment is in line with the deteriorating economic picture in the Netherlands in April. At the end of April, the Employee Insurance Agency (UWV) recorded 170 thousand people receiving unemployment (WW) benefit, 4 thousand fewer than in January.

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UWV: number of unemployment benefits fell slightly

At the end of April 2024, UWV recorded 170.3 thousand recipients of unemployment (WW) benefits. That was 4.2 thousand fewer than in the previous month (-2.4 percentage points). In April, 18.4 thousand new unemployment benefits were granted and 20.6 thousand benefits were terminated.

UWV: number of unemployment benefits decreased in almost all sectors

The number of unemployment benefits declined the most in agriculture, forestry and fisheries (-7.4 percentage points), temporary employment agencies (-5.4 percentage points), accommodation and food services, banking and insurance (both -3.3 percentage points) and construction (-3.0 percentage points). For most of the above sectors, this is a seasonal pattern that was also visible in April of previous years.

More people unemployed for 1 to 3 months

In Q1 2024, more people were likely to be unemployed for 1 to 3 months year on year. The number of people that were unemployed for 3 to 6 months also increased, relative to two years previously. The number of long-term unemployed (1 year or more) declined.

Unemployment can increase or decrease due to four different changes in people’s circ*mstances. Two of these can lead to lower unemployment: when unemployed people find a job, and when unemployed people stop seeking employment and leave the labour market.

There are also two changes that can lead to higher unemployment: when people who have lost their job seek employment, and when people who were previously not part of the labour market start seeking employment. If people in these groups do not find work immediately, they become part of the unemployed labour force.

In the first months of 2024, unemployment grew mainly because more people outside the labour force were seeking employment. In April, that inflow declined somewhat again (123 thousand in the previous three months), but still inflow exceeded outflow, causing unemployment to rise slightly.
The number of people outside the labour force who found work immediately was 178 thousand over the previous three months. That number has been declining for some time. In December 2023, 221 thousand people found work over the previous 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 benefits. Figures released by UWV do not correspond one-to-one with the labour force indicators.