With one week to go before the government presents its 2021 spending plans to parliament, RTL Nieuws has obtained leaked documents outlining the government’s economic forecasts.

The figures are slightly more optimistic than those published by the CPB macro-economic forecasting agency last month, and show the economy will contract by 5% this year but will grow in 2021 by 3.5%.

The leaked document says unemployment will reach 5.9% next year and spending power will rise by an average of 0.8%, with people in work benefiting from a 1.2% increase.

The figures do come with the proviso that the Netherlands does not introduce a full or partial lockdown to head off the rise in coronavirus cases, RTL said.

The government will publish its budget for the coming year on September 15.

Earlier leaks suggest some tax cuts are in the pipeline.