16.04.202604:50:02UTC+00Dutch Jobless Rate Edges Down to 4%

The Netherlands’ seasonally adjusted unemployment rate inched down to 4.0% in March 2026 from 4.1% in February. The number of unemployed declined by 9 thousand to 407 thousand. In addition, 3.2 million people were outside the labor force because they had not recently looked for work and/or were not immediately available for employment. This group consists mainly of retirees and individuals unable to work due to illness or disability.

At the end of March, the number of unemployment benefit recipients stood at 202,100, a decrease of 1.6% from the previous month. Over the month, 21,700 new claims were filed, while 25,000 benefits were terminated.

Meanwhile, employment increased by 1 thousand to 9.85 million. However, the total labor force slipped to 10.257 million from 10.265 million in February. The gross labor force participation rate edged down to 76.2% from 76.3%, while the net participation rate held steady at 73.2%. In March 2025, the unemployment rate had stood at 3.9%.