Job losses in all provinces except Flevoland in 2003

In 2003 the number of jobs in the Netherlands fell by 1.1 percent. Flevoland was the only province where the number of jobs increased. The area around the four big cities lost many jobs in commercial services. Out of the 25 largest municipalities only Leiden, Nijmegen, Tilburg and Dordrecht saw modest job increases.

No more growth in jobs

In 2003 the total number of jobs of employees in the Netherlands fell by 76 thousand. This brought the period of growth that started in 1984 to a halt. In 2002 the number of jobs increased by 60 thousand and in 2001 even by 141 thousand. The total number of jobs in 2003 was just under 7 million.

Flevoland the only province with job increases

Flevoland was the only province in 2003 where jobs increased (1.0 percent). The province has had the highest growth rate in jobs for many years. The other provinces all saw job losses. Utrecht performed especially poorly with a decrease of 2.2 percent. Job losses in Zeeland and Groningen were limited to 0.3 percent.

Job growth rate by province, 2003

New job losses in the Amsterdam region

In corop region Greater Amsterdam the number of jobs in 2003 decreased by over 14 thousand. In 2002 there had already been a job loss of 3 thousand. Commercial services, which make up over 60 percent of all employments, lost 14 thousand jobs, including 5 thousand jobs in business services. The increase by 4 thousand jobs in non-commercial services was offset by a loss of as many jobs in industry and construction.

Job growth rate in the four major corop regions, 2003

Other key corop regions also negative

The three other major corop regions Utrecht, Greater Rijnmond (Rotterdam) and the The Hague agglomeration also showed a downturn in 2003. Almost 13 thousand jobs were lost in Utrecht, 9 thousand in Greater Rijnmond and 6 thousand in the The Hague agglomeration. All three had shown job growth in 2002. The job losses were almost entirely in the commercial services.

Job growth rate in some municipalities, 2003

Leiden has highest growth rate in jobs

Out of the 25 municipalities with the largest number of jobs in the Netherlands, only Leiden, Nijmegen, Tilburg and Dordrecht saw a modest growth rate. Leeuwarden had the same number of jobs as the year before, while the other twenty municipalities show negative job growth. The greatest losses were observed in Utrecht, Haarlem, Zoetermeer, Venlo and Zaanstad.

Gerda Gringhuis