Labor market even tighter in the last quarter of 2021 | Economy

At the end of December there were 387,000 vacancies. That was 16,000 more than at the end of the third quarter. The increase is less strong than in the previous three quarters, but again surpasses the record of 372,000 jobs in the months of July, August and September. As in previous quarters, most jobs were found in trade, business services and healthcare. These three sectors together account for more than half of all open vacancies.

Against the record number of vacancies, there were 370,000 unemployed in the last months of the year, which means that there are 105 vacancies for every 100 unemployed. A quarter earlier, this was still 93 vacancies per 100 unemployed. The number of unemployed in this period amounted to almost 4 percent of the working population.

The number of vacancies fell in the catering, culture, recreation and other services. In the last weeks of December, there was again a lockdown, which forced many restaurants, cafes, theaters and cinemas to close.

489,000 jobs have been added in the past six quarters. That is much more than in the period when the corona crisis started. In the past year and a half, the number of jobs only fell in the last months of 2020 and the first months of 2021. In both periods there were lockdowns again.

The census of the statistical office includes all jobs, both full-time and part-time. The number of paid jobs and jobs for the self-employed rose slightly, compared to a stagnation in the growth of the number of temporary jobs. According to CBS, the temporary employment sector has not yet recovered from the corona crisis.