Low-skilled are being increasingly sidelined: report

Jobs searchThe income and job security gap between high and low-skilled people in the Netherlands has increased over the past 25 years, according to a report by two government think-tanks on Thursday.

The macro-economic policy unit CPB and socio-economic policy bureau SCP say if nothing is done, the low-skilled will become even poorer and more likely to be unemployed.

Some two million people in the Dutch workforce only have a basic trade school diploma and their risk of becoming unemployed is 1.5 times higher than those with college and university qualifications.

The report says between 1990 and 2005, the average gross wage of low-skilled workers in the Dutch labour force remained at €17 an hour, taking inflation into account.

By contrast, the average hourly rate of college and university educated workers rose from €24 to €31 an hour.

Between 2005 and 2015, the wage gap has not increased but the low-skilled have been hit by the switch to short-term and flexible contacts.

The two government advisory groups estimate that by 2025, 8.2% of the low-skilled will be jobless, compared with 3.3% of people with a degree.

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