Dutch unemployment rises to 4.0% in third quarter
There were 92 vacancies for every 100 unemployed people in the third quarter of 2026, down from 95, as the number of unemployed rose by 11,000, Statistics Netherlands says.
The Dutch labour market became slightly less tight in the third quarter of 2026. The number of vacancies stayed virtually unchanged, while the number of unemployed rose by 11,000 to 407,000, Statistics Netherlands (CBS) reported.
The unemployment rate rose from 3.9% to 4.0%. The long-term unemployed rose by 7,000 to 73,000, and the short-term unemployed by 2,000 to 333,000. In the second quarter of 2022, 3.3% of the labour force was unemployed; CBS says unemployment has been rising slowly since.
Vacancies per 100 unemployed fell from a record 142 in 2022 to 92
Vacancies per 100 unemployed · 2019 Q2–2026 Q3
Vacancies per 100 unemployed fell from a record 142 in 2022 to 92 (vacancies per 100 unemployed). From 68 in 2019 Q2 to 92 in 2026 Q3; highest 142 in 2022 Q2, lowest 41 in 2020 Q3. Source: CBS.
View data
| Period | Vacancies per 100 unemployed |
|---|---|
| 2019 Q2 | 68 |
| 2019 Q3 | 66 |
| 2019 Q4 | 67 |
| 2020 Q1 | 56 |
| 2020 Q2 | 43 |
| 2020 Q3 | 41 |
| 2020 Q4 | 45 |
| 2021 Q1 | 56 |
| 2021 Q2 | 78 |
| 2021 Q3 | 93 |
| 2021 Q4 | 106 |
| 2022 Q1 | 134 |
| 2022 Q2 | 142 |
| 2022 Q3 | 120 |
| 2022 Q4 | 122 |
| 2023 Q1 | 121 |
| 2023 Q2 | 121 |
| 2023 Q3 | 113 |
| 2023 Q4 | 114 |
| 2024 Q1 | 110 |
| 2024 Q2 | 109 |
| 2024 Q3 | 106 |
| 2024 Q4 | 107 |
| 2025 Q1 | 101 |
| 2025 Q2 | 101 |
| 2025 Q3 | 97 |
| 2025 Q4 | 94 |
| 2026 Q1 | 91 |
| 2026 Q2 | 95 |
| 2026 Q3 | 92 |
The market was at its tightest in the second quarter of 2022, with a record 142 vacancies per 100 unemployed people. The 91 of the first quarter of 2026 was the lowest since 2021.
The number of jobs rose by 14,000 to 11.7 million. Employment agencies added 6,000 jobs, and public administration and healthcare 5,000 each. Business services lost 8,000.
The number of zzp'ers (self-employed people without staff) fell by 11,000, the seventh quarterly decline in a row. Flex workers fell by 8,000 to just over 2.7 million, while permanent staff rose by 10,000 to over 5.6 million.
The vacancy rate fell from 42 to 41 per 1,000 employee jobs. Construction has the highest rate at 72, down from 73, and education the lowest at 16. Employers posted 342,000 new vacancies, 13,000 fewer than a quarter earlier, and filled 341,000, which is 16,000 fewer.
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CBS (Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek)
Statistics Netherlands, the independent government body that produces the official statistics on the Dutch economy and society.
zzp'ers (zelfstandigen zonder personeel)
Self-employed people who run their own business or work as freelancers without employing any staff. Dutch statistics count them separately from employees with contracts and from flex workers. They arrange their own income tax, pension and sickness insurance, which is why the group comes up often in discussions about labour rules and social security.