Dutch Jobless Rate Holds at 3.9%

The Netherlands’ seasonally adjusted unemployment rate stood at 3.9% in May 2026, unchanged from the previous month and still the lowest level since last August. The number of unemployed people increased by 2 thousand to 399 thousand, while 3.2 million people were outside the labor force, which mainly consists of retirees and individuals unable to work due to illness or disability. At the end of May, the number of unemployment benefits stood at 199,400, down 1.8% from the previous month, as 19,000 new claims were added while 22,800 were terminated. Meanwhile, employment dropped by 24 thousand to 9.829 million, while the labour force declined by 22 thousand to 10.23 million, primarily because more people left the labor market while fewer non-workers found jobs. The gross labor force participation rate edged down to 76.1% from 76.2%, as well as the net participation rate to 73.1% from 73.3%. In May 2025, the jobless rate stood at 3.8%.

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%.

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%.