Unemployment rises to over 8 percent

• Unemployment rises sharply in March
• Slight increase in unemployment benefits

According to figures released today by Statistics Netherlands, seasonally adjusted unemployment in the Netherlands rose by 30 thousand in March, to 643 thousand people.
Figures published by UWV – the organisation responsible for implementing unemployment benefits - show that the number of unemployment benefit claimants rose by 3 thousand to 380 thousand in March. 

Unemployment rises sharply again

Unemployment rose further in the Netherlands in March, to 8.1 percent. Three months previously, 7.2 percent of the labour force were out of work. In the first quarter of 2013, another 24 thousand people per month became unemployed.

In the last three months, the increase was strongest among 25-44 year-olds. In this age group an average 11 thousand people per month became unemployed. Unemployment among over-45s rose by 8 thousand a month, among under-25s it increased by 4 thousand a month.
Unemployment according to the definition used by the ILO was 6.4 percent, up from 6.2 percent in February.

Unemployment benefits down in seasonal sectors

The number people claiming unemployment benefit rose by 0.8 percent in March 2013. The increase was above average among the over-45s, while the number of people younger than 25 years claiming unemployment benefit  fell slightly.

The number of benefit claimants rose in the trade and health and welfare sectors in particular. In sectors with more seasonal work, such as agriculture, construction, and hotels and restaurants, the number of benefits fell on the other hand.

There were 48 thousand new benefit claimants in March, while 45 thousand unemployment benefits were stopped; 22 thousand benefits ended because the claimants had found new work, 20 percent more than in February. The number of benefits ending because the maximum period of entitlement had expired was higher than both one month and one year previously.