Unemployment in the Netherlands climbed to the highest level in sixteen years in July, with the number of unemployed rising to more than half a million, data released by the Central Bureau of Statistics showed Thursday.
The number of jobless persons, on a seasonally adjusted basis, increased to around 510,000 in July from about 495,000 in June. The latest figure was the highest since 1996 when the number of unemployed rose above half a million.
The unemployment rate increased to 6.5 percent during the month from 6.3 percent in the previous month, extending the current sequence of increase to over a year. Economists expected the jobless rate to remain unchanged in July.
At the same time, the number of persons claiming unemployment benefit increased by 7,000 month-on-month to around 298,000 in July. Year-on-year, the number of claimants rose by 17.5 percent.
by RTT Staff Writer
For comments and feedback: editorial@rttnews.com
Economic News