Improvement of Employment Chances of the Unemployed and the Visual and Audible Disabled by using Virtual Learning Applications The Netherlands, some basic data regarding the labour market, 2007.

Economic growth 2.5 percent in first quarter 2007

According to preliminary estimates by Statistics Netherlands, Dutch economic growth has been 2.5 % in the first quarter of 2007 compared with the same quarter last year. This growth is realised with one working day fewer than the first quarter of Both household consumption and exports have grown more slowly in the first quarter of 2007 than in This has mainly been caused by the sharp drop in gas consumption. The increase in fixed capital formation has been larger, on the other hand.

Construction and manufacturing are going through very productive times. These sectors have the largest production growth for years. The construction industry realises the highest production growth for seven years: 7.4 percent. Quarter-on-quarter growth 0.6 percent Compared with the previous quarter, the economy has grown by 0.6 percent in the first quarter of 2007 after correction for working day and seasonal effects. The quarter-on-quarter growth rate is in line with the growth rate in the seven preceding quarters.

Dutch manufacturing industry is still thriving. The average daily output in April has been 6 % up on one year previously, thus equalling the growth rate of February and March. This is the highest manufacturing output growth rate since May Production has been higher in all sectors of manufacturing industry compared to April The increase is most significant (over 10 percent) in production of textiles. The increase in the metal industry is also well above the average for the manufacturing industry as a whole.

Manufacturing output

In April, 290 businesses and institutions (excluding one-man businesses) have gone bankrupt, a 21 % reduction on April Bankruptcies of businesses and institutions (excluding one-man businesses)

Exports grow more slowly In the first quarter of 2007 the volume of goods exports is 6.3 percent larger than in the first quarter of This increase is slightly smaller than in The main reason for the slowdown is the lower exports of gas. Re-exports do rise substantially again. At 7.2 percent, imports grow by more than exports. This rise is partly connected with the rise in fixed capital formation and the robust growth in spending on durable consumer goods.

Sharp fall in unemployment

Unemployment continues to fall According to the latest figures from Statistics Netherlands, seasonally corrected unemployment is 357,000 on average in the period February- April This is 17,000 down on the period January-March. Unemployment falls in all age groups. The number of unemployed, which peaked at the beginning of 2005, has not been this low since February-April Since August-October 2006, unemployment has fallen by an average 9,000 people a month.

The largest part of this decrease is accounted for by year-olds. Unemployment has fallen by 55,000 in this age group, to 161,000 people or 4.1 %. In the youngest age group, too, unemployment has fallen. In the period February- April 2007, 83,000 youngsters are unemployed, 10,000 fewer than one year previously. The youth unemployment rate has fallen from 11.5 to 9.9 percent. For the over-45’s unemployment has fallen by 7,000 people to 131,000. This is 4.6 percent of the year-old labour force.

Potential labour force in decline After continuous growth over the past century, the potential labour force is about to decline. On 1 January 2007, there were 10 million Dutch residents in the 20–65 age bracket. Their number will decline significantly in the years to come. According to Statistics Netherlands, the proportion of older people within the potential labour force will also increase dramatically.

Between 2007 and 2040, the potential labour force is anticipated to shrink from 10 to 9 million. The decline will gain momentum in the near future, although the first signs of a shrinking labour force in 2005 were only marginal. The proportion of older people within the potential labour force is growing. The age category increased by 62,000 in 2006, whereas the age category was reduced by 58,000.

Since the early 1990s, the proportion of 50 to 65- year-olds has grown from 24 to 32 %. This process is expected to continue until the early 2020s, when nearly 37 % of the potential labour force will be 50 years or older. In the near future, the share of 60 to 65-year-olds will increase relatively fast. In 2006, the first baby boomers – born in 1946 – will reach the age of 60. Until 2011, the number of people in the age group will increase by 175,000 to 1.1 million. Though rated among the potential labour force, only one fifth of them are currently active.

The Dutch population increase is only marginal, but the number of older people is growing relatively fast. Since the turn of the century, the number of over- 65’s has risen by 215,000 (10 %) to 2.4 million. The proportionally fastest growing category were people over 80. Their number increased from 500,000 to 601,000. The increase in the number of over-65’s in 2006 is reinforced by a marginally lower mortality rate.

The mortality rate began to fall in 2003, which is rather surprising, given the ageing of the population. Around the year 2050, annual mortality is anticipated to be 83,000 up on However, the reduction of the potential labour force in 2006 is partly due to the fact that emigrants outnumbered immigrants. Negative net migration amounted to more than 31,000. The majority of them are aged between 20 and 65.

The percentage of people active in labour is:  15 – 24 years: Men – 41.0 %, Women – 36.7 %  25 – 49 years: Men – 88.2 %, Women – 70.2 %  50 – 64 years: Men – 65.0 %, Women – 40.1 %  65 & older:---- Men – 04.9 %, Women – % Structural unemployment is highest according as less/lower education has been enjoyed.

Handicapped people active in labour:  Total: 701,000  Total persons with adaptation in their labour situation: 214,000  Total persons with adaptation in their labour situation still needed: 112,000  Total persons that not needed any adaptation in their labour situation: 376,000 The adaptations concern resources, adapted furniture or amount of work or function or tasks and some other not further specified adaptations.

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