Employment down

The number of jobs of employees was 147 thousand lower in the fourth quarter of 2009 than one year previously. This is a 1.8 percent decrease. In the third quarter of 2009 the number of jobs was down by 140 thousand on the year before. It is the biggest reduction in employment in over 25 years.

Employment is subject to seasonal fluctuations. After adjustment for the seasonal effects, the number of jobs in the fourth quarter was down by 0.2 percent on the third quarter. Quarter-on-quarter employment fell for the fourth quarter in a row. The reduction was smaller than in the first three quarters of 2009, though.

The total number of jobs of employees in the Netherlands, both full-time and part-time, amounted to nearly 7.9 million in the fourth quarter of 2009. This equals 5.9 million full-time jobs, 113 thousand less than the fourth quarter of 2008.

Growth rate jobs and economic growth