The Netherlands’ seasonally adjusted unemployment rate ticked down to 3.9% in April 2026, the lowest level in eight months, from 4.0% in the previous month. The number of unemployed people fell by 10 thousand to 397 thousand, as fewer people from outside the labour force began searching for work without immediately finding employment, while more unemployed individuals stopped looking. In addition, there were 3.2 million people who had not recently looked for work and/or were not immediately available for it, primarily those who are retired or unable to work due to illness or disability. At the end of April, the number of unemployment benefit recipients stood at 203.1 thousand, 0.5% higher than in the prior month. Meanwhile, employment increased by 3 thousand to 9.853 million, while the labour force dropped by 7,000 to 10.25 million. The gross labour force participation rate remained steady at 76.2%. In April 2025, the jobless rate was slightly lower at 3.8%. source: Statistics Netherlands

Unemployment Rate in Netherlands decreased to 3.90 percent in April from 4 percent in March of 2026. Unemployment Rate in Netherlands averaged 4.85 percent from 2003 until 2026, reaching an all time high of 7.90 percent in February of 2014 and a record low of 2.90 percent in February of 2020. This page provides - Netherlands Unemployment Rate - actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news. Netherlands Unemployment Rate - data, historical chart, forecasts and calendar of releases - was last updated on May of 2026.

Unemployment Rate in Netherlands decreased to 3.90 percent in April from 4 percent in March of 2026. Unemployment Rate in Netherlands is expected to be 4.10 percent by the end of this quarter, according to Trading Economics global macro models and analysts expectations. In the long-term, the Netherlands Unemployment Rate is projected to trend around 4.30 percent in 2027 and 4.40 percent in 2028, according to our econometric models.



Calendar GMT Reference Actual Previous Consensus TEForecast
2026-04-16 04:30 AM
Unemployment Rate
Mar 4% 4.1% 4.1%
2026-05-21 04:30 AM
Unemployment Rate
Apr 3.9% 4% 4.0%
2026-06-18 04:30 AM
Unemployment Rate
May 3.9% 4.1%


Related Last Previous Unit Reference
Employed Persons 9853.00 9850.00 Thousand Apr 2026
Job Vacancies 380.10 368.60 Thousand Mar 2026
Job Vacancy Rate 3.90 4.10 percent Dec 2025
Labor Force Participation Rate 76.20 76.20 percent Apr 2026
Productivity 103.90 103.69 points Mar 2026
Unemployed Persons 397.00 407.00 Thousand Apr 2026
Unemployment Rate 3.90 4.00 percent Apr 2026
Wage Growth 4.60 4.50 percent Mar 2026
Wages in Manufacturing 129.10 128.00 points Mar 2026


Netherlands Unemployment Rate
In Netherlands, the unemployment rate measures the number of people actively looking for a job as a percentage of the labour force.
Actual Previous Highest Lowest Dates Unit Frequency
3.90 4.00 7.90 2.90 2003 - 2026 percent Monthly

News Stream
Dutch Jobless Rate Falls to 8-Month Low
The Netherlands’ seasonally adjusted unemployment rate ticked down to 3.9% in April 2026, the lowest level in eight months, from 4.0% in the previous month. The number of unemployed people fell by 10 thousand to 397 thousand, as fewer people from outside the labour force began searching for work without immediately finding employment, while more unemployed individuals stopped looking. In addition, there were 3.2 million people who had not recently looked for work and/or were not immediately available for it, primarily those who are retired or unable to work due to illness or disability. At the end of April, the number of unemployment benefit recipients stood at 203.1 thousand, 0.5% higher than in the prior month. Meanwhile, employment increased by 3 thousand to 9.853 million, while the labour force dropped by 7,000 to 10.25 million. The gross labour force participation rate remained steady at 76.2%. In April 2025, the jobless rate was slightly lower at 3.8%.
2026-05-21
Dutch Jobless Rate Edges Down to 4%
The Netherlands’ seasonally adjusted unemployment rate edged down to 4.0% in March 2026 from 4.1% in the previous month. The number of unemployed people decreased by 9 thousand from the previous month to 407 thousand, while 3.2 million people were outside the labor force as they had not recently sought work and/or were not immediately available. This group mainly consists of retirees and individuals unable to work due to illness or disability. At the end of March, the number of unemployment benefits stood at 202,100, down 1.6% from the previous month, as 21,700 new claims were added while 25,000 were terminated. Meanwhile, employment rose by 1 thousand to 9.85 million, however, the labor force declined to 10.257 million from 10.265 million in the previous month, and the gross labor force participation rate fell to 76.2% from 76.3%, with the net participation rate unchanged at 73.2%. In March 2025, the jobless rate stood at 3.9%.
2026-04-16
Dutch Jobless Rate Rises to 4.1%
The Netherlands’ seasonally adjusted unemployment rate edged up to 4.1% in February 2026 from 4.0% in January, marking the highest reading since September 2021. The number of unemployed people increased by 1 thousand to 416 thousand, while employment rose by 6 thousand to 9.849 million. The labor force also expanded slightly to 10.265 million from 10.258 million in the previous month. Meanwhile, the gross labor force participation rate held steady at 76.3%, with the net participation rate unchanged at 73.2%. The number of ongoing unemployment benefits stood at around 205.5 thousand at the end of February, slightly lower than in the previous month, as 22.2 thousand new claims were offset by 22.4 thousand terminations. Outside the labor force, around 3.2 million people were not actively seeking or available for work. In February 2025, the jobless rate stood at 3.8%.
2026-03-19