Some 17% of women last year were not working or looking for a job, more than double the percentage of men in the same position, national statistics agency CBS said on Thursday.

Some 75% of men said ill health was the main reason they were not looking for work, but only 55% of women overall cited being unable to work because they were sick.

However 52% of women with a partner and children at home said taking care of the kids and household duties were the main reason they did not want to work at all.

One third of all the women who were not working said they would be prepared to get a paid job if the hours were right, if they could better combine working hours with their private lives and if their place of work was closer to home.

Part time

The CBS also looked at the reasons why people opt to work part time.

Both men (81%) and women (71%) said having more time for themselves was the most important reason not to work longer hours. Having more time for household tasks was the second most popular reason, followed by less work stress. Having more time for the children was cited by 29% of women and 22% as men as a reason to work part time.

Almost 80% of Dutch women of working age have some form of job, but 65% of them work fewer than 35 hours a week. Only 18% of men work fewer than 35 hours.

Last year, the OECD called on the new cabinet to tackle the labour shortage, and suggested people in the Netherlands should start working longer hours. 

In particular, changes to income tax and supplementary benefits for people on low incomes could help, as would providing more free childcare which the outgoing government had planned to do, the OECD said. 

In December, the government’s independent advisory body on migration, the Adviesraad Migratie said the Netherlands will need to bring more foreign workers into the country to cope with an aging population.

Some three million extra immigrants would be needed to plug the workforce gaps and pay taxes by 2040, but given that is not a realistic option, people already here will have to work more hours or retire later instead, the council said in its report.