Economy
Cabinet aims to shorten unemployment benefits, but it will barely create extra jobs
The Dutch government's plan to reduce the maximum duration of unemployment benefits (WW) from two years to one year by January 1, 2029, is expected to generate only approximately 8,000 new full-time jobs, according to the Central Planning Bureau (CPB). While the measure will save the cabinet money, the CPB describes the increase in structural employment as limited, rising by just 0.1 percent. The CPB also found that adjusting benefit levels in the first two months would have virtually zero impact on employment. This policy shift follows widespread protests and union opposition, with CNV chairman Hans van den Heuvel calling the reduction unacceptable. Currently, around 195,000 people in the Netherlands receive WW benefits.
Ozetta summarises; the reporting is the newsroom's