The Dutch unemployment rate rose to 6.3% in June, marking a year of steady increases, the national statistics office CBS said on Thursday.

In June 2011, the jobless rate was just 5%.
Youth employment has been hardest hit, with the unemployment rate for the under 25s rising from 9.3% to 12.2%, the CBS said.
The FNV trade union federation’s youth wing said earlier on Thursday youth unemployment may be twice as high as the official figures show because many youngsters do not register as job seekers. This is because they are not entitled to benefits.
Despite rising unemployment, the consumer confidence index recovered slightly last month, and is now on -32, the CBS said. In May, the index hit a record low of -40.

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