Continuous rise in number of jobs

In the second quarter of 2006 the number of jobs of Dutch employees was up by 1.1 percent on the same period of the previous year. This signifies a further recovery of employment. In the first quarter, the number of jobs also showed an increase of 1.1 percent. The total number of jobs in the second quarter of 2006 reached 7.5 million, an increase of 80 thousand on the same period of the previous year.

Adjusted for seasonal effects, the number of jobs increased for the fifth quarter in a row. In the second quarter the growth rate for jobs was 0.3 percent up on the preceding quarter.

The collective (CAO) wages increased slightly, from 1.9 percent in the first quarter to 2.0 percent in the second. This is compared to the same quarter of the previous year. As yet there are no data available on the development of labour costs per fte in the second quarter. Labour costs per fte were up by 1.0 percent in the first quarter on the same quarter of 2005. The lowest rise in labour costs since 1996. Labour costs were restrained by the decrease of the social security premiums payable by the employer. Employers paid less for (pre)pension and disablement provisions.  

Growth rate jobs and economic growth