The Dutch official unemployment rate rose ‘strongly’ to 4.8% in the second quarter of 2009, the national statistics office CBS said on Tuesday. A year ago, the jobless rate was 4%.

Youngsters aged 15 to 24 were hardest hit. Some 11.4% of people in that age group are now without a job, the CBS said.
The government’s macroeconomic think tank expects the unemployment rate to reach 5.5% by the end of this year and 9% in 2010.
Meanwhile, the national benefit payment office UWV said on Tuesday it needs to recruit 2,300 new staff to cope with the increase in jobless benefit claims.