The total amount of hours worked by temporary workers in the Netherlands fell by 4% in the first period (weeks 1-4) of 2019, compared to the same period last year, according to the Dutch Federation of Private Employment Agencies (ABU).

ABU divides the year into four-week periods, with the first period the most recently ended. This period counted as many workable days as in the same period last year so no correction was applied.

While workers’ hours saw a dip, ABU reported that turnover remained the same in comparison to the same period last year.

Temporary workers in the administrative sector saw their hours decrease by 4% when compared to the same period last year and turnover fell by 1% in the same period.

Hours worked by temporary workers in the industrial sector decreased by 4%, while turnover remained the same compared to last year.

The number of hours worked in the technical sector remained the same while turnover increased by 3% compared to the same period last year.

According to data from Eurostat, the unemployment rate in the Netherlands was 3.7% in October.