The Netherlands’ seasonally adjusted unemployment rate remained at 3.9% in May 2026, unchanged from April and still the lowest level since August 2025. The number of unemployed rose by 2 thousand to 399 thousand, while 3.2 million people were outside the labor force, a group made up mainly of retirees and individuals unable to work due to illness or disability.
At the end of May, the number of unemployment benefit recipients stood at 199,400, down 1.8% from the previous month. During the month, 19,000 new claims were registered, while 22,800 benefits were terminated.
Meanwhile, employment fell by 24 thousand to 9.829 million, and the total labour force shrank by 22 thousand to 10.23 million, largely because more people left the labour market and fewer non-workers moved into employment. The gross labour force participation rate slipped from 76.2% to 76.1%, and the net participation rate declined from 73.3% to 73.1%. In May 2025, the unemployment rate was 3.8%.
