The Netherlands’ seasonally adjusted unemployment rate edged up to 4.1% in February 2026 from 4.0% in January, marking the highest reading since September 2021. The number of unemployed people increased by 1 thousand to 416 thousand, while employment rose by 6 thousand to 9.849 million. The labor force also expanded slightly to 10.265 million from 10.258 million in the previous month. Meanwhile, the gross labor force participation rate held steady at 76.3%, with the net participation rate unchanged at 73.2%. The number of ongoing unemployment benefits stood at around 205.5 thousand at the end of February, slightly lower than in the previous month, as 22.2 thousand new claims were offset by 22.4 thousand terminations. Outside the labor force, around 3.2 million people were not actively seeking or available for work. In February 2025, the jobless rate stood at 3.8%. source: Statistics Netherlands

Unemployment Rate in Netherlands increased to 4.10 percent in February from 4 percent in January of 2026. Unemployment Rate in Netherlands averaged 4.86 percent from 2003 until 2026, reaching an all time high of 7.90 percent in February of 2014 and a record low of 2.90 percent in February of 2020. This page provides - Netherlands Unemployment Rate - actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news. Netherlands Unemployment Rate - data, historical chart, forecasts and calendar of releases - was last updated on March of 2026.

Unemployment Rate in Netherlands increased to 4.10 percent in February from 4 percent in January of 2026. Unemployment Rate in Netherlands is expected to be 4.10 percent by the end of this quarter, according to Trading Economics global macro models and analysts expectations. In the long-term, the Netherlands Unemployment Rate is projected to trend around 4.40 percent in 2027 and 4.20 percent in 2028, according to our econometric models.



Calendar GMT Reference Actual Previous Consensus TEForecast
2026-02-19 05:30 AM
Unemployment Rate
Jan 4% 4% 4.0%
2026-03-19 05:30 AM
Unemployment Rate
Feb 4.1% 4% 4.1%
2026-04-16 04:30 AM
Unemployment Rate
Mar 4.1% 4.1%


Related Last Previous Unit Reference
Employed Persons 9849.00 9843.00 Thousand Feb 2026
Job Vacancies 368.60 384.30 Thousand Dec 2025
Job Vacancy Rate 4.10 4.20 percent Sep 2025
Labor Force Participation Rate 76.30 76.30 percent Feb 2026
Productivity 104.28 103.40 points Dec 2025
Unemployed Persons 416.00 415.00 Thousand Feb 2026
Unemployment Rate 4.10 4.00 percent Feb 2026
Wage Growth 4.30 4.60 percent Jan 2026
Wages in Manufacturing 127.80 126.10 points Jan 2026


Netherlands Unemployment Rate
In Netherlands, the unemployment rate measures the number of people actively looking for a job as a percentage of the labour force.
Actual Previous Highest Lowest Dates Unit Frequency
4.10 4.00 7.90 2.90 2003 - 2026 percent Monthly

News Stream
Dutch Jobless Rate Rises to 4.1%
The Netherlands’ seasonally adjusted unemployment rate edged up to 4.1% in February 2026 from 4.0% in January, marking the highest reading since September 2021. The number of unemployed people increased by 1 thousand to 416 thousand, while employment rose by 6 thousand to 9.849 million. The labor force also expanded slightly to 10.265 million from 10.258 million in the previous month. Meanwhile, the gross labor force participation rate held steady at 76.3%, with the net participation rate unchanged at 73.2%. The number of ongoing unemployment benefits stood at around 205.5 thousand at the end of February, slightly lower than in the previous month, as 22.2 thousand new claims were offset by 22.4 thousand terminations. Outside the labor force, around 3.2 million people were not actively seeking or available for work. In February 2025, the jobless rate stood at 3.8%.
2026-03-19
Dutch Jobless Rate Steady for 5 Months
The Netherland’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate held steady at 4% in January 2026, unchanged from the previous four months and still marked the highest reading since September 2021. The number of unemployed people rose by 5 thousand from the previous month to 415 thousand, while an additional 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. During the month, 38.7 thousand new unemployment benefits were granted, bringing the total to 205.7 thousand, while 24.4 thousand were terminated. Meanwhile, employment increased by 0.1 thousand to 9.843 million, and the labor force participation rate edged up to a three-month high of 76.3%. Compared with a year earlier, the jobless rate was 0.2 percentage points higher than the 3.8% posted in January 2025.
2026-02-19
Dutch Jobless Rate Remains Steady at 4%
The Netherlands’ seasonally adjusted unemployment rate remained steady at 4% in December 2025, unchanged from the previous three months. Still, this marked the highest reading since September 2021, as the number of unemployed individuals increased by 2 thousand from the previous month to 410 thousand. Unemployment among 15- to 25-year-olds rose mainly in the second half of the year, with the rate climbing to 9.1% for young women, up from 8.7% in June 2025. The jobless rate also increased notably among men aged 25 to 45 and those aged 45 to 75. Meanwhile, employment declined by 4 thousand to 9.842 million, and the labor force participation stood at 76.2%. Compared with a year earlier, the jobless rate was 0.3 percentage points higher than the 3.7% posted in December 2024.
2026-01-15