Fewer partial unemployment benefits

Unemployment benefits were granted to 386 thousand people in the Netherlands in 2004. This is 165 thousand more than in 2001, the year with the lowest number of unemployment benefits. The share of partial benefits has dropped in recent years. Employees are more often being made fully redundant.

Partial benefits down

In 2004 15 percent of unemployment benefits were paid to people who had been made partially redundant, i.e. they retained some of their working hours. As a result they received only a partial benefit. In 2000 20 percent of unemployment benefits paid were partial benefits.

Unemployment benefits granted, 2000-2004

In 2004 four out of five men claiming unemployment benefit received the full benefit. For women this proportion was much lower: fewer than two out of five women received a full benefit. Women are more likely to work part time, in 2004 only 28 percent of all working women had a job of at least 35 hours a week.

Men more often receive partial benefit

In the period 2000-2004, 23 percent of men received a partial unemployment benefit, compared with 13 percent of women. Coming form a full-time job, an average 16 percent of men received partial benefit. For women this was only 6 percent. Women were more often entitled to partial benefit after a part-time job: on average 7 percent compared with 2 percent for men.

Unemployment benefits granted, by sex, 2000/2004

More 25-34 year-olds often receive benefit

Compared with number of people in work benefits were relatively often paid to people in the age group 25-34 years in 2004. For both men and women the number of new benefits in this age group came to 6.4 per hundred workers. In all other age groups the relative number of new benefits was lower.

Unemployment benefits granted per 100 people in work, 2004

Older women in particular are less likely to receive unemployment benefit. For every hundred working women aged 55-64 years only 2.8 unemployment benefits were paid. The rate was also on the low side for women aged 45-54 years.

Ton Ferber