Figures released by Statistics Netherlands indicate a slow recovery in the youth job market. This comes after an initial slump during the first few months of the coronavirus pandemic.
There had been a general upward trend in the number of young people in work in the Netherlands since 2016. However, this came to a sudden end in 2020 as the coronavirus pandemic forced many businesses to close.
In the second quarter (April to June), the number of young people in work fell from almost 66 per cent to 60 per cent. In fact, job losses hit people aged 15 to 24 years old in the Netherlands the hardest. 173,000 people lost their job due to the effects of the pandemic. Of those 173,000, 117,000 were aged between 15 and 24 years old. Statistics Netherlands says that this could be because many young workers work as waiters, bar staff and kitchen assistants – all jobs that became redundant as bars and restaurants closed last year.
Despite the initial slump, by the end of 2020, youth labour participation rose again to 62.7 per cent as many businesses were allowed to reopen until the December lockdown.
Source: Statistics Netherlands
Written by: Rachael Vickerman
