Unemployment marginally down

• Fewer unemployed in February than in January
• Slightly upward trend over the last four months
• Increase young unemployed registered at the UWV
• Fewer WW benefits terminated due to resumption of work

The most recent figures released by Statistics Netherlands show that seasonally adjusted unemployment declined marginally in February 2012 to 469 thousand, i.e. 6 percent of the labour force.

According to figures published by the Institute for Implementation of Employees’ Insurances (UWV), the number of registered job seekers as well as the number of unemployment (WW) benefits have risen in February 2012.

Slightly upward trend unemployment

Unemployment dropped by 5 thousand in February. The decline came after an increase by 18 thousand in January. On average, unemployment grew marginally over the past four months. In the period July-October 2011, unemployment growth was still considerabe.

More job seekers in UWV database

At the end of February, 483 thousand job seekers were registered at the UWV, nearly 1 percent more than in January. The number of job seekers under the age of 25 grew by 3.1 percent to 41 thousand within a month. In lower-level engineering jobs (+2.8%), mid-level jobs in the sector health care and welfare (+2.2%) and higher-level jobs in behavioural and social sciences (+2.2%), the number of job seekers also grew above average. 

More WW benefits

The number of WW benefits grew by 2.5 percent in February to 299 thousand; 40 thousand new WW benefits were granted in February, i.e. 28 percent down on January; 33 thousand benefits were terminated in February, a decline by more than 3 percent relative to January. The number of WW benefits terminated due to resumption of work fell more than average by 10.9 percent.