The Dutch economy grew 0.5% in the second quarter, mainly through exports, and job vacancies increased by 4,000, the central statistics agency CBS said on Thursday.

The growth figure matches the expectations of economists at the big three Dutch banks, who forecast growth of between 0.3% and 0.5%.

Exports have shown an increase in both quarters of 2014, the CBS said. In the first quarter they grew 2.7% compared with the year earlier period. In the second quarter of 2013 the figure was 2.9%.

Investments also increased by 1.1%, compared with 5.1% in the second quarter of 2013. Investment in construction and infrastructure in particular lagged behind, according to the CBS.

Jobs

On the jobs front, vacancies were up by 4,000, the fourth successive quarter in which they have risen, the CBS said.

In total, there were 185,000 vacancies at the end of June, with the trade and service sectors leading the way.

The number of vacancies filled in the second quarter was 15,000 higher than in the year earlier period, at 177,000.

According to the CBS, this points to an increasingly dynamic jobs market.