stats / netherlands / jobs & cost of living

Jobs & cost of living · Netherlands

For recent grads: how easy it is to find work, how good the jobs are, what they pay and what life costs.

Grad view

Netherlands

Youth unemployment: 8.8 % · Aug 2026
Recent-grad employment: 92.1 % · 2025
Average wage (PPP): 80,136 US$ PPP · 2025
Price level: 87 USA = 100 · 2025
Housing squeeze: 14.3 % · 2025

Beveridge curve: how hard is it to find a job?

quarterly unemployment rate (x) vs job vacancy rate (y), since 2010 · up and left = tighter market, easier to get hired

Source: OECD Data Explorer (prices; financial market statistics), CC BY 4.0 · Source: Eurostat, CC BY 4.0

Latest	NL
Unemployment rate %	4.0Aug 2026
Youth unemployment, 15–24 %	8.8Aug 2026
Unemployment, 25–29 %	4.22025
Unemployment with a degree %	2.52024
Job vacancy rate %	3.9Q4 2025
Long-term unemployed (1 year +) % of unemployed	14.02025
Employment rate of recent graduates %	92.12025
Employment rate, tertiary-educated 25–34 %	92.22025
Not in employment, education or training (NEET) %	5.32025
Graduate earnings premium index	1292024
Temporary contracts %	25.82025
Temporary contracts, 15–24 %	60.22025
Part-time work %	42.72025
Hours worked per worker, per year hours	1,4362025
Very long hours (50 h + a week) %	5.02025
Usual weekly hours, full-time job hours	37.32025
Average annual wage US$ PPP	80,1362025
Median full-time wage (approx.) US$ PPP	77,9272025
Real wage growth %	1.92025
Minimum wage, hourly US$ PPP	16.712025
Minimum wage vs median wage % of median	48.32025
Minimum wage, monthly (EU) PPS	2,023H2 2026
Price level of household consumption USA = 100	872025
Price level now (OECD, monthly) USA = 100	87Aug 2026
Price level of household consumption (EU27 = 100) EU27 = 100	1212024
Price level: food (EU27 = 100) EU27 = 100	992024
Price level: housing, water, energy (EU27 = 100) EU27 = 100	1302024
Price level: transport (EU27 = 100) EU27 = 100	1132024
Price level: restaurants and hotels (EU27 = 100) EU27 = 100	1252024
Big Mac price US$	7.08H2 2026
House price-to-income index	141Q4 2025
House price-to-rent index	157Q4 2025
Rents Index 2015=100	136Q3 2026
Housing cost overburden, aged 25–29 %	14.32025
Still living with their parents, 25–29 %	17.92025

Unemployment

Unemployment rate

monthly where available · %

Source: OECD Data Explorer (prices; financial market statistics), CC BY 4.0

Youth unemployment, 15–24

US 16–24 · %

Source: OECD Data Explorer (prices; financial market statistics), CC BY 4.0

Unemployment, 25–29

CW 25–34 · US 20–24 · %

Source: Eurostat, CC BY 4.0

Unemployment with a degree

advanced education · US bachelor’s, 25–34 · %

Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators, CC BY 4.0

Finding a job

Job vacancy rate

vacancies ÷ (jobs + vacancies) · US JOLTS openings rate · %

Source: Eurostat, CC BY 4.0

Long-term unemployed (1 year +)

share of the unemployed · % of unemployed

Source: OECD Data Explorer (prices; financial market statistics), CC BY 4.0

Graduates

Employment rate of recent graduates

tertiary, left education 1–3 years ago, aged 20–34 · %

Source: Eurostat, CC BY 4.0

Employment rate, tertiary-educated 25–34

Source: OECD Data Explorer (prices; financial market statistics), CC BY 4.0

Not in employment, education or training (NEET)

EU 15–29 · elsewhere 15–24 · %

Source: Eurostat, CC BY 4.0

Graduate earnings premium

full-time earnings of tertiary-educated 25–34s, upper secondary = 100 · index

Source: OECD Data Explorer (prices; financial market statistics), CC BY 4.0

Job quality

Temporary contracts

share of employees · %

Source: Eurostat, CC BY 4.0

Temporary contracts, 15–24

Source: Eurostat, CC BY 4.0

Part-time work

share of employment · %

Source: Eurostat, CC BY 4.0

Hours worked per worker, per year

hours

Source: OECD Data Explorer (prices; financial market statistics), CC BY 4.0

Very long hours (50 h + a week)

work–life balance: share of workers · %

Source: OECD Data Explorer (prices; financial market statistics), CC BY 4.0

Usual weekly hours, full-time job

hours

Source: Eurostat, CC BY 4.0

Wages

Average annual wage

full-time equivalent, constant prices, PPP · US$ PPP

Source: OECD Data Explorer (prices; financial market statistics), CC BY 4.0

Median full-time wage (approx.)

real minimum wage ÷ minimum-to-median ratio, PPP · US$ PPP

Source: OECD Data Explorer (prices; financial market statistics), CC BY 4.0

Real wage growth

yearly change of the average wage after inflation · %

Source: OECD Data Explorer (prices; financial market statistics), CC BY 4.0

Minimum wage, hourly

constant prices, PPP · US$ PPP

Source: OECD Data Explorer (prices; financial market statistics), CC BY 4.0

Minimum wage vs median wage

% of median

Source: OECD Data Explorer (prices; financial market statistics), CC BY 4.0

Minimum wage, monthly (EU)

purchasing power standards · PPS

Source: Eurostat, CC BY 4.0

Cost of living

Price level of household consumption

how expensive life is at market exchange rates, USA = 100 · USA = 100

Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators, CC BY 4.0

Price level now (OECD, monthly)

comparative price level, USA = 100 · USA = 100

Source: OECD Data Explorer (prices; financial market statistics), CC BY 4.0

Price level of household consumption (EU27 = 100)

EU27 = 100

Source: Eurostat, CC BY 4.0

Price level: food (EU27 = 100)

EU27 = 100

Source: Eurostat, CC BY 4.0

Price level: housing, water, energy (EU27 = 100)

EU27 = 100

Source: Eurostat, CC BY 4.0

Price level: transport (EU27 = 100)

EU27 = 100

Source: Eurostat, CC BY 4.0

Price level: restaurants and hotels (EU27 = 100)

EU27 = 100

Source: Eurostat, CC BY 4.0

Big Mac price

NL and EU: euro-area average · US$

Source: The Economist, Big Mac index (CC BY 4.0)

Housing

House price-to-income

vs its own long-term average (= 100) · index

Source: OECD Data Explorer (prices; financial market statistics), CC BY 4.0

House price-to-rent

vs its own long-term average (= 100) · index

Source: OECD Data Explorer (prices; financial market statistics), CC BY 4.0

Rents

Index 2015=100

Source: OECD Data Explorer (prices; financial market statistics), CC BY 4.0

Housing cost overburden, aged 25–29

living in a household spending over 40 % of income on housing · %

Source: Eurostat, CC BY 4.0

Still living with their parents, 25–29

Source: Eurostat, CC BY 4.0

Not available for Netherlands: Job openings per unemployed person, Quits rate.