Unemployment up sharply in Flevoland and North Brabant

Unemployment rose in nearly all provinces of the Netherlands in 2003. The increase was especially large in Flevoland and North Brabant. Unemployment rates also rose strongly in the cities Amsterdam and Rotterdam.

Fastest rise in Flevoland and North Brabant

Unemployment in the Netherlands rose by just over 1 percent point in 2003 to 5.3 of the labour force. The rise was fastest in the province Flevoland, where it grew from 5 percent in 2002 to just over 7 percent in 2003. It also increased sharply in North Brabant: from just over 3 percent to nearly 5 percent in 2003.

Increase smaller in other provinces

In the province Drenthe unemployment was about the same in 2003 as in the previous year, while in the provinces Utrecht and Limburg it rose by less than the national average.

Unemployment by province

Highest unemployment in Groningen again

Groningen has had the highest unemployment rate in the Netherlands for years now. In 2003 more than 8 percent of the labour force were there unemployed. Just as in 2002, Zeeland had the lowest unemployment: just under 4 percent.

Strong increases in Amsterdam and Rotterdam

Unemployment went up sharply in Amsterdam and Rotterdam from 2002 to 2003. In Amsterdam it was more than 8 percent of the labour force, up from 5 percent in 2002.

 Unemployment in the four big cities

Highest unemployment in Rotterdam

Just as in the preceding years unemployment was highest in Rotterdam. One tenth of the population of this city were out of work in 2003, twice as many as average in the whole country. In Utrecht and The Hague unemployment was slightly higher than average: 6 percent of the population in these two cities were unemployed.

Sabine Lucassen

Source: StatLine (Dutch only)