Netherlands Unemployment Drops to 4.0% in March 2026 | Labor Market Data - News and Statistics

Apr 17, 2026

According to Statistics Netherlands, the unemployment rate decreased to 4.0 percent in March from 4.1 percent the previous month. The total count of unemployed individuals stood at 407 thousand for that period. Over the preceding three months, the number of unemployed persons declined by an average of one thousand per month, while the number of people in paid employment increased by an average of three thousand monthly.

The number of individuals receiving unemployment benefits also saw a slight reduction. At the end of March, the Employee Insurance Agency recorded 202.1 thousand current benefit recipients, a decrease of 1.6 percent from February. During March, 21.7 thousand new benefits were granted while 25.0 thousand were terminated, keeping the total above 200 thousand for the third consecutive month.

The decline in benefit recipients was widespread, occurring in nearly all of the 35 labor market regions. Only three regions experienced minor increases. The most significant decreases were observed in the Food Valley, Drenthe, and Zeeland regions.

The reduction in unemployment resulted from two primary flows. In March, 152 thousand unemployed persons found work, and 105 thousand stopped seeking work and left the labor force. Combined, 257 thousand people who were unemployed three months earlier were no longer unemployed. Offsetting these flows, 124 thousand employed persons lost their jobs and 129 thousand people not previously seeking work began to look for work, resulting in 253 thousand new unemployed persons for the month.

In addition to the unemployed, 3.2 million people were not actively seeking or available for work in February and are not considered part of the labor force. This group has remained at a similar level over the past three months.

1. INTRODUCTION

Making Data-Driven Decisions to Grow Your Business

REPORT DESCRIPTION
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY AND THE AI PLATFORM
DATA-DRIVEN DECISIONS FOR YOUR BUSINESS
GLOSSARY AND SPECIFIC TERMS

2. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

A Quick Overview of Market Performance

KEY FINDINGS
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3. MARKET OVERVIEW

Understanding the Current State of The Market and its Prospects

MARKET SIZE: HISTORICAL DATA (2012–2025) AND FORECAST (2026–2035)
CONSUMPTION BY COUNTRY: HISTORICAL DATA (2012–2025) AND FORECAST (2026–2035)
MARKET FORECAST TO 2035

4. MOST PROMISING PRODUCTS FOR DIVERSIFICATION

Finding New Products to Diversify Your Business

TOP PRODUCTS TO DIVERSIFY YOUR BUSINESS
BEST-SELLING PRODUCTS
MOST CONSUMED PRODUCTS
MOST TRADED PRODUCTS
MOST PROFITABLE PRODUCTS FOR EXPORT

5. MOST PROMISING SUPPLYING COUNTRIES

Choosing the Best Countries to Establish Your Sustainable Supply Chain

TOP COUNTRIES TO SOURCE YOUR PRODUCT
TOP PRODUCING COUNTRIES
TOP EXPORTING COUNTRIES
LOW-COST EXPORTING COUNTRIES

6. MOST PROMISING OVERSEAS MARKETS

Choosing the Best Countries to Boost Your Export

TOP OVERSEAS MARKETS FOR EXPORTING YOUR PRODUCT
TOP CONSUMING MARKETS
UNSATURATED MARKETS
TOP IMPORTING MARKETS
MOST PROFITABLE MARKETS

7. PRODUCTION

The Latest Trends and Insights into The Industry

PRODUCTION VOLUME AND VALUE: HISTORICAL DATA (2012–2025) AND FORECAST (2026–2035)
PRODUCTION BY COUNTRY: HISTORICAL DATA (2012–2025) AND FORECAST (2026–2035)

8. IMPORTS

The Largest Import Supplying Countries

IMPORTS: HISTORICAL DATA (2012–2025) AND FORECAST (2026–2035)
IMPORTS BY COUNTRY: HISTORICAL DATA (2012–2025) AND FORECAST (2026–2035)
IMPORT PRICES BY COUNTRY: HISTORICAL DATA (2012–2025) AND FORECAST (2026–2035)

9. EXPORTS

The Largest Destinations for Exports

EXPORTS: HISTORICAL DATA (2012–2025) AND FORECAST (2026–2035)
EXPORTS BY COUNTRY: HISTORICAL DATA (2012–2025) AND FORECAST (2026–2035)
EXPORT PRICES BY COUNTRY: HISTORICAL DATA (2012–2025) AND FORECAST (2026–2035)

10. PROFILES OF MAJOR PRODUCERS

The Largest Producers on The Market and Their Profiles

11. COUNTRY PROFILES

The Largest Markets And Their Profiles

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11.1

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