Seven out of 10 unemployed people who got a new job last year ended up on a flexible contract, according to new figures from national statistics office CBS.

Just one in eight job seekers found a permanent job, a drop from one in five 10 years ago, the CBS said. Part-time work is also on the rise. Some 37% of those who found a job had a contract for more than 35 hours a week, down from 42% in 2005.

‘The fear of having to do part-time work your whole life is becoming a reality for increasing numbers of people,’ CNV union leader Maurice Limmen told broadcaster Nos in a reaction.

‘A job should provide the reassurance that you’ll be able to buy a house or follow a training course, but that reassurance is disappearing,’ Limmen said.