Unemployment in the Netherlands is falling while the number of job vacancies grows, shrinking the number of jobless per vacancy to 2.7, the national statistics office CBS said on Friday.

A year ago, there were 3.9 people without work for every vacancy. However, before the start of the economic crisis, the figure was just 1.4.

All parts of the country are benefiting from the surge in job vacancies, the CBS said. The growth has been sharpest in Zeeland, where the number of available jobs rose 40%. There are now just 1.8 jobless per vacancy in Zeeland and Utrecht.

In Groningen, by contrast, there are four unemployed people for every vacancy. The construction and education sectors have the most jobs on offer in the  northern province.