The Dutch unemployment rate remained virtually unchanged in August despite hopes that the economic recovery will boost job creation.

The national statistics office CBS said 604,000 people were officially without work, almost as many as in July. This means the official unemployment rate remains at 6.8%.

In addition, the number of people claiming unemployment benefits remained stable at 420,000, the state job agency UWV said.

The jobless total had fallen by an average 7,000 a month over the previous three months.

The CBS says the number of jobs in the Netherlands has risen by 100,000 over the past 18 months but this has still not offset the 150,000 jobs lost between 2012 and 2013.