Distribution of well-being: labour and leisure time

10/07/2024 00:00

Work is important for people and for their well-being, as it provides them with income and an active role in society. This theme covers net labour participation and how satisfied people are with their jobs, and with the amount of leisure time they have.

Men, people aged 25 to 54 years, those with higher education, people born in the Netherlands whose parents were both born in the Netherlands or of whom at least one parent was born outside
Europe, and people born outside the Netherlands but within Europe, were more likely than average to have paid work.
People in age groups between 45 and 74 years, those with higher education, and people born in the Netherlands with both parents also born in the Netherlands were particularly more likely than average to be satisfied with their job.
In 2023, 73.7 percent of adults in the Netherlands were satisfied with the amount of leisure time they had. Over-65s, in particular, were satisfied with their leisure time.

Net labour participation

Net labour participation is defined here as the share of the employed labour force – people with a paid job – in the population aged 15 to 74 years.

Situation in 2023

In 2023, 73.1 percent of the Dutch population aged 15 to 74 years were in some form of paid work. This includes all jobs, irrespective of the number of weekly working hours. So people working part-time for a few hours a week are also included.

In 2023, the net labour participation rate of men – 77.2 percent – was higher than average, that of women (68.9 percent) was lower than average.
Net labour participation was highest – 86 to just under 88 percent – among 25- to 54-year-olds. Rates were lower, but still above average, among people aged 55 to 64 years (75.0 percent) and 15 to 24 years (76.5 percent). Most people in the youngest age group are still in some form of education and relatively more of them have part-time jobs for a few hours a week. Although 18.1 percent of 65- to 74-year-olds were still in paid work, most people in this age group had retired.
Net labour participation was higher than average among people with higher (82.7 percent) and people with medium (75.4 percent) levels of education. For people with lower levels of education, the rate was lower than average.
People born in the Netherlands whose parents were also born in the Netherlands had a higher than average net labour participation rate (74.3 percent). This was also true for people born in the Netherlands with at least one parent born outside Europe (76.7 percent), and European-born migrants (75.2 percent). Lower than average participation rates were measured for people born in the Netherlands with one or both parents born in Europe (excl. the Netherlands) (70.9 percent) and migrants born outside Europe (61.4 percent).

Sex, age, education level and origin/country of birth may correlate with each other. The percentage of people with higher education, for example, is not the same in all age groups. For the measurements conducted in this analysis, these relations are taken into account by applying a standardisation procedure, which corrects for the variation in the occurrence of the above characteristics. These standardised figures reveal that people born in the Netherlands with one or both parents born outside Europe, as well as migrants who themselves were born elsewhere in Europe have lower net labour participation rates than average. The main reason that the non-standardised figures show an above average participation is the age composition of these groups. The group consisting of second generation migrants of whom one or both parents were born outside Europe is relatively young with many 15- to 44-year-olds. Migrants who were born elsewhere in Europe are more likely to fall in the age group 25 to 54 years. Participation rates are relatively high for these age groups in particular.

Changes between 2019 and 2022

In spite of a dip in 2020, the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, net labour participation rose from 70.0 percent in 2019 to 73.1 percent in 2023. Compared with this increase for the population aged 15 to 74 years, the following groups show different developments:
– For people aged 25 to 54 years, the increase in net labour participation between 2019 and 2023 was smaller than average, whereas for 55- to 74-year-olds it was larger than average.
– Among people with medium levels of education, the increase in labour participation in this period was smaller than average.
– The increase in the share of people with paid work was larger than average for people born in the Netherlands. For migrants born outside Europe, net labour participation was almost at the same level in 2023 as in 2019, as a result of which it lagged further behind average participation. .

Satisfaction with work

Situation in 2023

According to the Netherlands Working Conditions Survey (NEA) conducted by CBS and TNO, 78.9 percent of all employees aged between 15 and 74 years were satisfied or very satisfied with their work in 2023.

Job satisfaction of employees aged 25 to 34 years (76.4 percent) and 35 to 44 years (77.6 percent) was lower than average, while satisfaction rates of employees aged between 45 and 54 years (80.5 percent), and particularly of those aged 65 to 74 years (86.6 percent) were higher than average.
Higher educated employees reported above-average job satisfaction (80.4 percent). Those with low education levels were below the average (77.1 percent).
Employees born in the Netherlands whose parents were also born in the Netherlands were more satisfied than average with their work (81.2 percent). Employees born in the Netherlands with one or both parents born elsewhere in Europe (76.2 percent), those born in the Netherlands with one or both parents born outside Europe (74.2 percent), workers who were themselves born elsewhere in Europe (72.0 percent), and those born outside Europe (69.5 percent) were all less satisfied than average with their jobs.

Standardisation of the data reveals that in addition to employees with low education levels, employees with medium education levels are also significantly less often satisfied than average.

Changes between 2022 and 2023

The percentage of employees satisfied or very satisfied with their work was higher in 2023 than in 2022 (77.9 percent). Compared with this increase, the following groups showed different changes:

Job satisfaction of employees with medium education levels rose by more than average between 2022 and 2023. For higher educated employees the increase was lower than average.
Job satisfaction rose by significantly more in 2023 for people born in the Netherlands of whom both parents were also born in the country.

Satisfaction with leisure time

Situation in 2023

Less than a quarter of adults in the Netherlands (73.7 percent) were satisfied with the amount of leisure time they had in 2023, while 7.2 percent were not satisfied and 19.1 percent were neither satisfied nor dissatisfied.

Different age groups have differing opinions on the amount of leisure time they have. People aged 18 to 54 years are less likely than average to be satisfied with their amount of free time (around two-thirds of them are satisfied), while over-65s are more likely than average to be satisfied: nearly 95 percent are satisfied. People in age group 65 to 74 years and the over-75s in particular report high levels of satisfaction with leisure time: 95 and 94 percent respectively.
Lower educated people are more satisfied than average with the amount of leisure time at their disposal (80.1 percent), while the group with medium education levels are less satisfied than average (70.6 percent).
People born in the Netherlands whose parents were also born in the Netherlands are more likely to be satisfied with the amount of free time they have: 76.8 percent say they are satisfied. People born outside the Netherlands or with at least one parent born outside Europe are less satisfied than average.

On the basis of standardised figures on satisfaction with leisure time, the above findings for the various groups largely remain intact. However, after correction of education level groups for the unequal composition by sex, age and origin/country of birth, satisfaction with free time among people with lower and medium levels of education no longer differ from the average. After correction, it is the group with higher levels of education who are more satisfied than average with leisure time. The differences in the uncorrected figures are therefore related to the sex, age and origin composition of these groups. When we corrected origin/country of birth for the unequal composition by sex, age and education level, the level of satisfaction among people born in the Netherlands with at least one parent born outside Europe no longer differs from the average.

Changes between 2019 and 2023

The overall share of people saying they are satisfied with the amount of leisure time at their disposal has not changed significantly from 2019 to 2023. Compared with the changes for the population as a whole, the following groups reveal different trends:

18-to 24-year-olds: satisfaction with the amount of leisure time showed a relatively unfavourable trend in the period 2019 to 2023, with a decrease of just over 5 percentage points.
65-to 74-year-olds: satisfaction changed relatively favourably between 2019 and 2023 with an increase of nearly 2 percentage points.
People with medium levels of education: satisfaction in this group showed a relatively unfavourable trend from 2019 to 2023, a decrease of 3.5 percentage points.
People with low and with high levels of education: the changes in these groups were relatively favourable, both up by 2 percentage points from 2019 to 2023.
People born in the Netherlands whose parents were also born in the Netherlands: for this group the change was relatively favourable, an increase by 1 percentage point from 2019 to 2023.
People born outside Europe: the change for this group was relatively unfavourable, a fall of 5.5 percentage points in the period 2019 to 2023.