The 'Dutch Miracle': Employment Growth in a Retrenched but Still Generous Welfare System

The Netherlands, until the mid-1980s a country with high unemployment, has seen rising employment for some years. Currently its unemployment rate is below five per cent. Employment growth is mostly due to the expansion of part-time jobs, particularly for women. Because there are many people in disability and early retirement schemes, unemployment is, however, still high. A special feature is that the Dutch have managed to bring down unemployment in a context of a welfare system which is still relatively generous. There have been cuts, but the Dutch poverty rate is still one of the lowest in th... Mehr ...