Unemployment down slightly

In the period June-August 2005 there were on average 490 thousand people unemployed. The unemployment is in these months always somewhat higher since students come onto the job market looking for regular and summer jobs. The seasonally corrected figure for the unemployed labour force was 487 thousand, 4 thousand less than in the period May-July 2005.

Seasonally corrected unemployment has been constant for about six months, the figure fluctuates between 490 and 498 thousand people. At the beginning of 2005 it grew by around 2 thousand people a month. Subsequently the trend turned, and unemployment fell by around 2 thousand a month.

In the period June-August 2005 an average 6.6 percent of the Dutch labour force were unemployed. The female and male unemployment rates were 7.8 and 5.6 percent respectively. With approximately 14 percent, the highest rate by far is recorded among men and women in the 15 to 24 age category.  

Unemployment, seasonally adjusted