The number of people in Amsterdam receiving unemployment benefits has risen for the fourth year running.
New figures from benefits agency UWV put the total at 14,890 residents on a WW benefit at the end of June.
That is up from 13,740 a year earlier and the highest count for this time of year since 2021.
The increase runs across age groups, including people under 27, those over 50, and the ages in between.
Still below earlier peaks
Even with the climb, the city total remains well under the mid-2020 level, when 22,197 Amsterdammers were claiming WW.
Across the Netherlands, 197,000 people currently receive the benefit, 13,000 more than a year ago.
A drop from the start of the year reflects seasonal workers returning to construction, agriculture, and temporary staffing jobs.
National claim numbers stay near historic lows, shaped by strong overall employment and earlier tightening of the benefit rules that began in 2016.
Care sector sees largest rise
In Amsterdam the clearest year-on-year jump came in care and welfare, where 1,553 people now claim WW compared with 1,300 twelve months earlier.
That makes care and welfare the sector with the most unemployment benefits in the city.
Temporary employment agencies follow with 1,228 claims, and retail with 1,140.
The sharpest decline was in cleaning, down from 256 people on benefits last year to 231 now.
What the figures indicate
WW is the national unemployment insurance payment for people who lose their jobs and meet the contribution rules.
The latest data point to gradual pressure in parts of the local job market even while the broader Dutch picture remains relatively solid.
Residents seeking work in care, retail, or temporary roles may notice a somewhat tighter market than a year ago.
The municipality of Amsterdam and national agencies continue to watch these sector shifts as one measure of how the capital’s labor market is evolving.
