Job sector often correlates with neighbourhood

There is an apparent correlation between the neighbourhood in which people live and the branch in which they work.

Carers live near care institutions

Relatively many inhabitants of neighbourhoods in the area of a care institution work in the care sector.

An example is the neighbourhood ‘Duin en Bosch’ in Castricum, where 72 percent of the population work in the care sector. Neighbourhoods in the university cities often have many inhabitants who work in education, such as ‘Drienerveld’ in Enschede and ‘de Uithof’ in Utrecht (more than 20 percent).

Relatively many people living in neighbourhoods on the German border in Twente and de Achterhoek are employed in manufacturing: for example ‘Nieuwoord’, ‘Westerhaar West’ and ‘Vriezenveense wijk’ in the municipality Twenterand, where more than 40 percent of the population work in manufacturing.

Differences within one municipality

Within one and the same municipality, too, neighbourhoods can be identified with higher percentages of employees in certain sectors. In the municipality of Assen, for example, the whole centre of the city has neighbourhoods where high percentages of the population work in the care sector.

People who work in trade live mainly on the northern edge of the centre. In the suburbs, relatively many people work in agriculture.

Distribution of employed persons by sector in Assen, 2004

Active labour force differs strongly

The percentage of employed people differs strongly from neighbourhood to neighbourhood. In the neighbourhoods ‘Aalten Kern ’t Kobus’ in Aalten, ‘Staelduin’ in Westland and ‘Volendam-Middengebied’ in Edam-Volendam, more than 90 percent of the labour force is employed.

There are also neighbourhoods with a very low employment rate, for example neighbourhoods with a care institution. In such neighbourhoods the percentage of benefit claimants or retired people is usually relatively high.

Retired people and benefit claimants by employment rate in the neighbourhood, 2004

Differences by origin

The percentage of employed people also differs between foreign-background and native groups. In three-quarters of neighbourhoods the employment rate for people with a non-western foreign background was 10 to 30 percent points lower in 2004 than the rate for people with a native Dutch background. In only 130 neighbourhoods (3 percent) were the employment rates for people with a non-western foreign background equal to or higher than those for native Dutch inhabitants.

Differences in employment rates between people with a non-western foreign background and native Dutch people, 2004

Chantal Melser and Koos Arts