Unemployment increased amongst young people during pandemic

There are more jobs in the hospitality sector. Photo: DutchNews.nl
There are more jobs now in the hospitality sector. Photo: DutchNews.nl

New figures show that unemployment increased among young people in Amsterdam at the end of 2020, when a coronavirus lockdown meant bars and restaurants were closed.

In the last financial quarter of 2019, 6.5% of young people between 18 and 26 were unemployed, compared with 9.9% in the same period in 2020. Those working in the hospitality sector were most affected, according to the city council.

‘The new figures show once more that young people were hard hit,’ said head of social affairs Rutger Groot Wassink in a press release. ‘We know that unemployment early in your career can cause issues for your whole working life. We need to ensure that young people can keep their jobs or return to school.’

Although economic predictions around the coronavirus pandemic, including its effect on employment, are brighter than some had first feared, national figures also show that young people have taken a hit.

The CBS reports that 433,000 people were on unemployment benefit in April 2021, including 1,600 people under 27 – an increase of 4% in this age group.

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