Unemployment among people with foreign background declines marginally

Unemployment among people with a foreign background shows a slightly downward trend. In the first quarter of 2007, unemployment among people with a non-western foreign background was 13 percent, distinctly higher than among native Dutch (4 percent). Unemployment in both ethnic groups was below the level of the same period last year, but the unemployment rate in the first quarter of 2007 was marginally higher than in the last quarter of 2006. This is a common, recurrent phenomenon caused by seasonal effects.

Quarterly unemployment figures by ethnic background, 2003/1-2007/1