Fewer employees with a permanent contract

In the third quarter of 2010, some 5.7 million employees in the Netherlands had a permanent employment contract. This is 111 thousand, or 1.9 percent, fewer than twelve months previously. The decrease was smaller than in the two preceding quarters and is almost entirely accounted for by full-time employees. The number of part-time workers with a permanent contract remained almost constant.

More flex workers

In the third quarter of 2010, the employed labour force in the Netherlands included 682 thousand employees with a flexible contract. This is 7.6 percent more than in the same period last year. These are not only temp agency workers, but also on-call and substitute workers.

On the labour market, the first sign of economic recovery is usually an increase in the number of flex workers. This was the second quarter in a row that the number of flex workers increased. From the third quarter of 2008 to the first quarter of 2010 the number fell.

Employees in the labour force by type of contract

Fewer employees than a year ago

Although the total employed labour force has been growing slightly again since March, the number of employees was still lower in the third quarter than in the same quarter last year. The year-on-year decrease was smaller than in the four preceding quarters. In the third quarter of 2010, 6.4 million people were employed for at least 12 hours a week. This is 0.9 percent down on twelve months previously. In the second quarter of 2010 it was still 2 percent lower. At the onset of the economic crisis at the end of 2008, the number of employees was initially higher than twelve months previously. The year-on-year change only became negative from the third quarter of 2009.

Astrid Pleijers and Clemens Siermann