WW stands for werkloosheidswet or unemployment benefit which was being claimed by around 430,000 people at the beginning of 2015. To qualify you must have worked for 26 of the last 36 weeks. For two months you get 75% of your last earned salary, thereafter 70% – up to a maximum of around €200 a day. You are entitled to one month’s benefit for every year in work, to a maximum of 38 months – although this is being reduced to two years to cut the cost from 2016. It’s a complicated system but this is hardly surprising as tinkering with the WW is a popular way for governments to cut public spending.

(more information)