← Netherlands's unemployment rate
Unemployment Benefits in Netherlands
Someone who loses their job in the Netherlands can get WW unemployment benefit from UWV, a share of their previous wage, for 3 to 24 months. If they have too little income or assets to live on, their municipality can pay bijstand (social assistance).
✓ From official pages ✓ Each part says when we checked
At a glance
UWV
activities a 4 weeks
The job market in Netherlands
The International Labour Organization's estimates put Netherlands 68th lowest of 183 countries for unemployment in 2025; the world's rate was 4.9%.
Netherlands's unemployment rate over the years · every country, ranked
What to do first
- Register with the public employment service, UWV. Official page
- Apply for Unemployment benefit (WW-uitkering): apply to UWV. Official page
- Keep up with the job-search rule while you claim (below), and keep a record of where you applied.
- Search the government's job listings on werk.nl. Official page
- See whether you can get Social assistance (algemene bijstand). Official page
Unemployment benefit (WW-uitkering)
Who can get it. Employees who worked at least 26 of the 36 weeks before becoming unemployed (weeks requirement).
How much. 75% of the WW monthly wage in the first 2 months, 70% after that; the daily wage is capped at a maximum (maximumdagloon).
For how long. 3 months or longer; the maximum duration of WW is 24 months.
How to claim. Apply to UWV.
From an official page, read October 26, 2026.
Looking for work while you claim
Carry out and report at least 4 job application activities per 4 weeks, unless other arrangements were made with a UWV work adviser.
Reporting. Through Mijn UWV, the UWV app or the Werkmap.
From an official page, read October 26, 2026.
Keep my work search record for Netherlands
Free. It lists where you applied and what else you did to look for work, each line ready to copy into the form you report on, and counts it against Netherlands's number. It is your own record: we send nothing to any government.
Help finding work
Social assistance (algemene bijstand)
Paid through the municipality (gemeente) to people who do not have enough income or assets to live on.
From an official page, read October 26, 2026.
Questions
Is there unemployment benefit in Netherlands?
Yes: Unemployment benefit (WW-uitkering), paid by UWV.
How much is unemployment benefit in Netherlands?
75% of the WW monthly wage in the first 2 months, 70% after that; the daily wage is capped at a maximum (maximumdagloon).
How long does unemployment benefit last in Netherlands?
3 months or longer; the maximum duration of WW is 24 months.
How do I claim unemployment benefit in Netherlands?
Apply to UWV.
Do I have to look for work while I claim in Netherlands?
Carry out and report at least 4 job application activities per 4 weeks, unless other arrangements were made with a UWV work adviser.
Where can I get help finding a job in Netherlands?
The public employment service is UWV. The government lists jobs on werk.nl.
Nearby countries
Austria
Belgium
France
Germany
Liechtenstein
Luxembourg
Monaco
Switzerland
Where this comes from
Every part of this page was read on an official website, and each links the page it came from and the day we checked it. Rules and amounts change, so check that page before you rely on a figure. Jobareer is not part of any government and cannot see or change a claim.
See also: unemployment rate by country · Netherlands's unemployment rate · unemployment in the US, state by state.