The Dutch labor force worked 3.4 billion hours in the first quarter of this year. That is a decrease of 2.1 percent compared to the fourth quarter of 2019. A decrease of this size has not occurred since 1996, the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS) reports Friday.
The fall in the number of hours worked by employees and self-employed persons continued in April. Compared to the same month last year, the difference is three hours a week. In addition, the number of employed persons decreased by 160,000 compared to the first quarter.
In the culture sector, the recreation sector and other services, the number of hours worked decreased from 29 to 17, with this industry showing the sharpest decline compared to a year earlier. Within the various branches of industry, the number of hours worked fell the fastest in the catering industry, from 25 hours to 11 hours per week.
During the first quarter, there was less work, especially at temporary employment agencies. The number of hours worked also fell in the trade, catering and transport sector. In that industry, 34 million hours were lost compared to the previous quarter.
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