Unemployment rises further in May

  • Increase in unemployment levels out slightly
  • More unemployed aged over 25
  • Slight increase in unemployment benefits

Figures released by Statistics Netherlands today show that after adjustment for seasonal effects, unemployment in the Netherlands rose by 9 thousand in May, to 659 thousand persons.

Figures released by the Institute for Implementation of Employees’ Insurances (UWV) show that the number of unemployment benefits fell by 2 thousand in May, to 378 thousand.

Smaller rise in unemployment

Unemployment rose to 8.3 percent  in May. Nine thousand more people were out of work than in April. In the last three months the number of unemployed rose by an average 15 thousand a month. The strong increase  in unemployment at the end of 2012 and the beginning of 2013 has levelled out somewhat.

Youth unemployment hardly up in recent months

Unemployment in the youngest age groups has hardly risen in the last three months. In this period it rose mainly among people aged 25-64 years. The number of unemployed aged 25-44 years rose by an average 7 thousand per month, among the over-45s it rose by 8 thousand a month.

According to the ILO definition, unemployment was 6.6 percent of the labour force in May, up from 6.5 percent in April.

Fewer unemployment benefits paid to young people

The number of people claiming unemployment benefit fell by 0.5 percent in May, to 378 thousand. The number of people younger than 25 years claiming this benefit fell by 7 percent in May, but the number of over-55s claiming it rose, just as in April. Just as in previous months, the decrease was observed mainly in sectors with seasonal work, such as agriculture and construction.

In  May, 44 thousand people started to claim unemployment benefit, while 46 thousand stopped claiming the benefit, nearly of half whom because they had found work again.

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