New research shows that young, well-educated men are almost twice as likely to be unemployed than their female counterparts.

Up to 2009, the unemployment rate for highly educated graduates of both genders between the ages of 25 and 30 was about 3 per cent. Since then, the gap has continuously widened until by 2012, the gap had grown to nearly 3 per cent, the largest difference in 15 years.

Now, well-educated men aged between 25 and 30 have a jobless rate of 6,2 per cent, as compared to only 3,6 per cent of women of the same age.

The gap widens when it comes to social science graduates: over 8 per cent of these men are without work, while the jobless rate among women with the same qualifications has actually gone down slightly to under 4 per cent.

The unemployment rate among graduates aged 35 to 45 used to be higher for women, but that gap has now all but gone. In 1996, over 3 per cent more 35-to-45-year-old female graduates were unemployed, while in 2009 it was about 1 per cent.

Now, 3,5 per cent of male graduates in this age group are without a job, compared with 3,7 per cent of female.

The official Dutch unemployment rate is now around 8 per cent, but is up to 15 per cent for low-skilled youths.

Sources: CBS, Dutch News