The number of job vacancies in the Netherlands has reached a new high in the third quarter of 2021, according to new figures from national statistics agency CBS.

For every 100 jobless people there are now an unprecedented 126 vacancies. That is up 20 vacancies compared to the preceding quarter which already broke a 50-year-old record.

The number of unfilled positions rose to 371,000 at the end of September, 45,000 more than the preceding quarter.

The sectors most in need of workers are trade (75,000), commercial services (58,000) and care (52,000), which together account for half of all vacancies.

For the first time the total number of jobs, both part time and full time, broke the 11 million barrier, the CBS said. Of these, around one fifth were being done by the self-employed.

Unemployment, meanwhile, has been going down for the past year. Some 294,000 people were registered as unemployed in the months of July, August and September, or some 3.1% of the working population.