Environment

Young Adults Driving Rise in Dutch Welfare Numbers

The number of Dutch receiving welfare in the Netherlands increased in the latest quarter, particularly among young adults below the age of 27 years, reports Statistics Netherlands (CBS). A quarter of a million under people under 67 claimed welfare, a 1% rise on last year with a total of 408,000 people under the age of 67 claiming welfare.

Youth Welfare Claims Up by 7%
The highest rise was among those aged under 27, up 7% or almost 3,000 people. Now there are 41,500 young people on welfare. This stark increase suggests concern around youth unemployment and economic fragility at this age.

Welfare for individuals between the ages of 27 and 45 increased by 2%, to 139,000 recipients. The number also dropped slightly, by 0.5%, to 228,000, for people aged 45 to 67, indicating relative stability for the oldest working-age groups.

Manly Men More Likely to be on the Dole
And now there 180,000 men on welfare, a 2% increase from the last quarter. Women continue to account for a majority of recipients, at 228,000, but the number has held steady.

Although women still make up a majority of welfare recipients, the recent spike in male claimants could be evidence that the labor market is shifting, CBS reported.