Once again, the number of young people receiving social assistance benefits is increasing. In April this year, 39,000 young people aged between 18 and 27 were receiving social assistance, which is 3,000 more than last year, according to Central Bureau of Statistics figures.

This is the fifth consecutive quarter in which the number of young people receiving social assistance benefits has increased. This is consistent with a picture of high youth unemployment rates, which rose to 8.7%.

The total number of people receiving social assistance has also increased. This increase is due almost entirely to the increase in the number of young people receiving social assistance.

Once on welfare, young people stay on welfare longer, despite the large number of job vacancies. This is mainly because of the need for professionals, says CBS Chief Economist Peter Heijn van Meulegen: “These vacancies are not immediately tailored to young people. They are often looking for a part-time job, for example in the restaurant industry, where they have Job vacancies have actually decreased somewhat.”

The economy is changing due to climate ambitions and digital transformation. “This leads to frictional unemployment: a different type of vacancy is created for which there are no direct employees,” says van Molgen.

He does not expect massive unemployment among young people: “It often takes some time to find a new job, but in the long run it will not be a problem. There are still many vacancies and because of the aging population, the tightness in the labor market will continue for a while.” “Continue.”