Share of highly educated people on unemployment benefit rises to 38 per cent
UWV sees a possible role for AI in certain occupational groups. No causal link with the overall increase has been established.
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The share of people with a university of applied sciences or university degree among recipients of unemployment benefit rose from 30 per cent in the first half of 2022 to 38 per cent in the first half of 2026. UWV cites artificial intelligence as a possible factor, but the available information does not prove that AI caused the increase.
The figures come from a new UWV report, about which ANP reported on 3 November. The share of highly educated people among unemployment benefit recipients increased by eight percentage points over four years. This concerns a share within the group of benefit recipients, not the unemployment rate among all highly educated people.
One possible explanation is a change in the educational composition of the workforce: if the share of people with a university of applied sciences or university degree grows, this may affect the composition of the group receiving unemployment benefit. Their share among benefit recipients could therefore increase without every highly educated person facing a greater individual risk of unemployment.
UWV also sees signals in specific occupational groups. According to the reports, the number of highly educated marketing employees receiving unemployment benefit is increasing. Reorganisations in sectors with many IT roles, including banks, may also play a part, according to UWV. It has not been established whether jobs were actually lost to AI in these cases.
UWV's wording is cautious: AI is a possible cause, not an established explanation for the overall increase. UWV stresses that there is a mismatch in the labour market. At the same time, there are vacancies for skills employers need, while jobseekers do not always possess those skills.
UWV therefore warns that training is becoming more important, including for people with higher education. Workers who lose their jobs may find work again more quickly if their knowledge matches demand in sectors where staff shortages persist. For employers, the development means that automation is not merely a productivity issue, but may also affect how roles are structured and how staff are supported.
The full UWV report was not publicly available. How many jobs were actually lost to AI has not been established. The changing composition of the population receiving unemployment benefit does not in itself prove a general wave of redundancies caused by AI.
Both sides of the figures
▲ Bright spots
- UWV reports that the labour market still has demand for skills for which employers are seeking staff.
- According to UWV, training can improve the match between jobseekers and vacancies.
▼ Concerns
- According to ANP, the share of highly educated people among unemployment benefit recipients rose from 30 per cent in the first half of 2022 to 38 per cent in the first half of 2026.
- In some occupational groups, including marketing, UWV sees a possible relationship between AI and a higher number of unemployment benefit recipients.
Critical note
The figure concerns the composition of unemployment benefit recipients, not the unemployment risk of all highly educated people. Moreover, the rise in this share does not prove a general wave of redundancies caused by AI.
Who notices what
- Workers
- Highly educated people may need training more often to match changing roles and skills.
- Businesses
- Automation may prompt employers to adjust roles and training.
- Government
- UWV and the cabinet could play a larger role in retraining and further training, and in monitoring AI's effects on the labour market.
Every point comes from the article’s sources and was included in the fact check.
Fact-check Approved with corrections · 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 main figures and the cautious reference to AI were confirmed by public reporting on the UWV signal. The text makes clear that a causal link and the full methodology of the report could not be checked publicly.
- confirmed The share of highly educated people among unemployment benefit recipients rose from 30 per cent in 2022 to 38 per cent in 2026. — Mentioned in ANP reporting and by DutchNews.nl, with the same periods. source
- confirmed UWV sees AI as a possible cause in certain occupational groups. — The source says UWV sees a possible role for AI, including in marketing roles. source
- uncertain There are more highly educated people in the workforce than several years ago. — Plausible context, but not supported by a current primary source in the article. source
- confirmed The full new UWV report was not publicly available. — The public search results contained the reporting and general UWV information, but not the full report mentioned. source
1 correction(s) applied
- Was: More highly educated people on unemployment benefit: probably because of AINow: The share of highly educated people on unemployment benefit is rising; UWV sees a possible role for AI (The available sources show an association and a warning from UWV, but do not prove that AI caused the increase.)
Editor's note
The increase from 30 to 38 per cent and the possible role of AI can be found in public reporting. The full new UWV report was not publicly available, so its precise methodology, figures and breakdowns could not be checked.Sources
- UWV ziet grotere groep hogeropgeleiden in de WW — ANP via Zeelandnet
- AI pushing more graduates onto benefits, says UWV — DutchNews.nl
- Gebruik van AI neemt sterk toe — UWV