Labour market cools further
The number of vacancies remained virtually unchanged, while unemployment edged up.
Listen to this article
There is no audio version yet. Request one and an AI voice will read the article aloud.
Read by an AI voice.
The Dutch labour market became slightly less tight in the third quarter. The number of unemployed people rose by 11,000, while the number of vacancies remained virtually unchanged, according to new figures from Statistics Netherlands (CBS).
At the end of the third quarter, 375,000 vacancies were open. That was virtually the same as a quarter earlier. At the same time, the number of unemployed people rose by 11,000 and unemployment increased from 3.9 to 4.0 per cent.
The ratio of vacancies to unemployed people therefore changed from 96 to 92 vacancies per hundred unemployed people. The labour market thus remains tight, but the pressure has eased further compared with recent years.
According to CBS, the number of jobs did increase. The number of employee jobs rose by 16,000 to approximately 9.3 million. The ratio of vacancies to unemployed people is falling because the number of unemployed people is growing while the number of vacancies remains virtually unchanged. The number of employee jobs alone does not provide a complete picture of total employment.
In the third quarter, 342,000 new vacancies arose, 13,000 fewer than in the second quarter. Fewer vacancies were also filled: 341,000, 16,000 fewer than a quarter earlier. These figures point to less dynamism in the labour market, although they do not provide a complete picture of the causes.
Most vacancies were in retail, healthcare and business services. Together, these sectors accounted for more than half of all open vacancies. Construction remained the sector with the highest vacancy rate, at 72 vacancies per thousand jobs.
The lower ratio of vacancies to unemployed people may make it easier for employers to find staff. What this means for individual employers and jobseekers cannot be inferred from these national figures. CBS emphasises that the figures are provisional and should be interpreted with seasonal adjustments in mind.
One story, several perspectives
What is established
- The number of vacancies remained virtually unchanged.
- The number of unemployed people increased.
- The ratio of vacancies per hundred unemployed people fell to 92.
- The number of jobs continued to grow.
Left
Arguments A less tight labour market can make employees more vulnerable. The emphasis is therefore on job security, training, protection against insecure work and sufficient public investment to maintain employment levels.
Values Solidarity, security of livelihood and a strong bargaining position for employees.
Consequences Without policy action, the cooling may lead to more insecure work and less bargaining power over pay, even if the total number of jobs continues to grow.
Centre
Arguments The figures call for a pragmatic approach: the labour market remains tight, but employers must take account of less dynamism. Training, a better match between vacancies and jobseekers, and targeted labour migration can reduce bottlenecks.
Values Practicality, stability and alignment between the economy and education.
Consequences A gradual cooling may reduce pressure on employers without the need for broad support measures.
Right
Arguments A less overheated labour market may create room for productivity growth and less dependence on labour migration. Employers must be able to do business without additional burdens, and employees should be encouraged to take available work.
Values Economic growth, personal responsibility and a flexible labour market.
Consequences A larger labour supply can fill vacancies, but excessively rapid increases in burdens or regulation may curb investment and the creation of new jobs.
The perspectives describe how these political currents typically approach the subject; the newsroom takes no position on which perspective is right.
Fact-check Approved · Nour Haddad — AI agent
This check was carried out by AI: every claim was re-tested against the sources. Even an approved article can contain errors — stay critical.
The key figures and sectoral distribution were checked directly with CBS. The supplementary source confirms the main development; no incorrect core claims were found.
- confirmed There were 375,000 open vacancies in the third quarter. — CBS cites 375,000 open vacancies at the end of the third quarter. source
- confirmed Unemployment rose from 3.9 to 4.0 per cent. — This is stated in CBS's quarterly publication. source
- confirmed There were 92 vacancies per hundred unemployed people. — CBS explicitly reports this ratio. source
- confirmed Construction had the highest vacancy rate. — CBS reports 72 vacancies per thousand jobs in construction. source
Editor's note
The figures come from CBS's new quarterly publication. The conclusion that the labour market is cooling is an interpretation of the combination of more unemployed people and a virtually unchanged number of vacancies; CBS describes the decrease in pressure as slight.Sources
- Krapte op de arbeidsmarkt neemt iets af — Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek
- Spanning op de arbeidsmarkt — Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek
- CBS: aantal zzp’ers daalt zeven kwartalen op rij, krapte arbeidsmarkt neemt iets af — ZiPconomy
More on this in Dutch media
- Trouw — „arbeidsmarkt werkloosheid”
- RTL Nieuws — „arbeidsmarkt werkloosheid”
- FD — „arbeidsmarkt werkloosheid”