The number of unemployed people with a low level of education was 33.000 lower in the first quarter of 2011 than 12 months previously, according to CBS. They accounted for two-thirds of the total decrease in unemployment in this period.

Unemployed with lower and intermediate education levels benefit
Nearly 140.000 unemployed people in the first quarter of 2011 had a low education level. This is 33.000 fewer than in the first quarter of 2010. The number of unemployed with an intermediate level of education also fell by 15.000. However, the number of unemployed with a high level of education hardly decreased.

The unemployment rate among people with a low level of education was 7.7 percent in the first quarter of 2011. 12 months previously it was still 9,9 percent. For people with a high level of education, the unemployment rate remained unchanged in this period, at 3,9 percent.

More women with low education get a job
Men accounted for most of the fall in unemployment among the low educated; the number fell by 22.000 in the space of a year. The number of unemployed women with a low level of education fell by 10.000. However, the number of women with a low level of education in the employed labour force rose by 58.000. This means that a large number of women with a low education level got a job, while they did not formerly belong to the unemployed labour force. The number of men in the employed labour force rose by 25.000.

Labour participation of low educated rises slightly year-on-year
Net labour participation is highest among people with a high level of education: over 83 percent. This rate has been fairly stable in recent years. For people with a low level of education, labour participation has increased slightly recently. In the first quarter of 2011, labour participation among the low educated was just over 47 percent, nearly 1,5 percent points higher than 12 months previously.