topics

tools

Expatica countries

editor's choice

40.000 signatures to prevent early release of Fortuyns killer

Listing of international schools in the Netherlands

Guide to public transport in the Netherlands

Index	Last	Var.(%)
BEL 20	2117.66	-0.08
DAX	6323.19	-0.26
IBEX 30	6401.2	-2.17
CAC 40	3042.97	-0.16
FTSE 100	5356.34	0.09
AEX	292.76	0.00
DJIA	12454.83	-0.60
Nasdaq	2837.53	-0.07
FTSE MIB	13057.26	-0.74
TSX Composite	11566.15	-0.09
ASX	4120.2	0.96
Hang seng	18800.99	0.47
Straits Times	2787.22	0.52
ISEQ 20	501.76	0.16

You are here: Home

Finance & Business

Banking

Economic crisis hits young people

Banking

07/09/2009Economic crisis hits young people

Unemployment in the Netherlands has gone up substantially, especially among young people, figures published by Statistics Netherlands (CBS) show.

Help wanted at Dutch unemployment offices

French youths burn cars on eve of Bastille Day

European students undeterred from financial careers

A year ago unemployment among young people was still around nine percent, but now it has risen to 11.4 percent. The number of registered jobseekers is steadily growing, but there are also many young people who have decided to study rather than sit at home.

When there is an economic crisis it is always the young people who are hit first. In the Netherlands it is especially young men working in industry, the building sector, ICT and trade are affected most. In the second quarter of this year unemployment in the male age group of 15 to 25 is almost 12 percent, considerably more than a year ago.

Michiel Vergeer, economist at Statistics Netherlands says: "They often have the lowest legal status. Young people have been employed shortest and are the first to be sent away. It isn’t easy for the newcomers either. They have to try to find a place in the labour market, but there are too few jobs."

The young people who have decided to look for a job often end up at so-called ‘youth offices’ that act as a mediator in the job seeking process. They work together with employers, local authorities and schools.

Angela Velberg, project leader of the youth office in Utrecht: "It's mainly young people with vocational education (MBO), who in the past had no difficulties finding work. Now it takes them much longer. In some lines of business and occupational groups there just won’t be any work in the coming months."

Ending up at home demotivated

The government has already spent EUR 500 million on a plan to fight youth unemployment. A lot of money has gone towards internships in companies and othermeasures to make sure young people continue working on their future.

"We try to help them the best we can. We offer trainings and courses. And we provide refresher courses to increase their chances on the labour market. All of this to prevent that they end up at home demotivated," says Velberg.

As there aren’t any chances to find work, many young people decide to continue studying. The telephone has not stopped ringing at the universities and local training centres.

Young people are allowed to register until 1 October. The question is whether there will be enough teachers to give lessons to all these extra students. Some of them will have to wait a bit before they have really found a place.

But there is a ray of hope for the young unemployed. According to Statistics Netherlands, youth unemployment figures will go down soon, once the economy starts growing.

Klaas den Tek
Radio Netherlands