In the first quarter of 2011, the youth unemployment rate in the Netherlands was 7.4 %, i.e. lower than in all other Member States of the European Union (EU).

On average, more than one in every five people in the EU labour force aged between 15 and 25 were unemployed. The rate is particularly high in the south and east of the EU.

Youth unemployment high in Southern and Eastern Europe and Ireland.

After the Netherlands, Germany and Austria had the second and third lowest youth unemployment rate. In the first quarter of this year, the youth unemployment rates among 15 to 25-year-olds in these countries were 8.3 and 9.2 % respectively. Youth unemployment was also far below the European average in Malta, Denmark and Slovenia.

In most countries in Southern Europe, like Spain, Greece, Italy and Portugal, youth unemployment exceeded 25 %. In many Eastern European countries, like Slovakia, Lithuania, Latvia, Bulgaria, Hungary and Poland, the rate was also relatively high. Ireland is the only country situated in Western Europe where youth unemployment was above 25 %.

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ReferNet Netherlands