No further increase in young people in paid work

© CBS
For the first time since 2021, the percentage of young people aged 15 to 26 in paid work did not see an increase in 2024. That year, 77.7 percent of young people had paid work, compared with 77.9 percent in 2023. Among young people not in education, the net labour participation rate also declined in 2022 and 2023. The number of those who were not in education nor in employment increased, from 99 thousand in 2021 to 126 thousand in 2024. Statistics Netherlands (CBS) reports this based on the Labour Force Survey, as part of the National Youth Monitor.
After an upward trend that lasted years, the percentage of young people in paid work (net labour force participation rate) declined to 77.7 percent in 2024. However, it was still high compared to the figure for 2014 (69.0 percent). After that, the percentage of young people in paid work increased each year, with the exception of the first year of the coronavirus pandemic. Among young people not in education, the net labour participation rate also fell slightly in 2022 and 2023. Among those in education, there was a slight decline for the first time in 2024, from 74.0 to 73.8 percent.


Increase in unemployment among young people not in education

The number of young people who are not in education has been on the rise since 2021. Some of these are unemployed; they are seeking work and available for work at short notice. The number was 50 thousand in 2024, compared to 37 thousand in 2021. This increase consisted mainly of young people who were not actively seeking work due to illness.


Youth unemployment still relatively low despite recent increase

The unemployment rate among young people in the labour force is still relatively low, despite the increase over the past two years. Among young people not in education, 6.2 percent of young people who were part of the labour force were unemployed in 2024, compared with 10.5 percent in 2014. The unemployment rate among young people in education was 8.9 percent, compared with 14.1 percent in 2014. In 2024, 177 thousand young people (aged 15 to 26) were unemployed. The majority of them (127 thousand) were in education.

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