Economy
Statement | 'Unemployment Benefit Duration Should Be Shortened to Save Government Money'
The Dutch government plans to shorten the maximum unemployment benefit duration to encourage faster re-entry into the workforce. According to the Central Planning Bureau, reducing the period from 24 to 18 months would save 400 million euros but only increase structural employment by 0.1 percent. A further cut to 12 months would yield 1.3 billion euros in savings and affect a broader group, including those with shorter work histories, though it would similarly result in a minimal 0.1 percent employment boost due to many beneficiaries already having shorter entitlement periods.
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