The number of people without a job in the Netherlands remained virtually unchanged in October, ending five months of decline, the national statistics office CBS said on Thursday.

The official Dutch unemployment figure remains at 8% and 627,000 people are actively looking for work of at least 12 hours a week, the CBS said.

The decline in the jobless total also slowed in September but averaged 13,000 a month over the previous three months.

Social affairs minister Lodewijk Asscher said in a reaction that unemployment remains the government’s biggest worry. ‘There are still too many people who cannot find a job,’ he said. ‘We are implementing dozens of measures to help both young and old improve their chances of finding work.’

The cabinet has set aside €600m to develop a jobs plan together with unions and employers, Asscher pointed out in Trouw.