The recession maintains its grip on the Netherlands, and in September seasonally adjusted unemployment rose by 5 thousand in to a total of 519 thousand, according to new figures from Statistics Netherlands (CBS).

From August to September, unemployment in the Netherlands rose by 0,1 percent to 6,6 percent. Over the past three months, the number of people who were unemployed rose by 8 thousand people per month on average, and of these 8 thousand people, on average 5 thousand were men and 3 thousand were women.

Altogether, 281 thousand men and 238 thousand women were unemployed as of September, an increase over August's figures for both genders.

In contrast to the moderately higher unemployment, CBS reports that according to data from the Institute for the Implementation of Employees’ Insurance (UWV), the number of people claiming unemployment benefits in September remained similar to August at 304 thousand.

The number of new applications for benefits was approximately equal to the number benefits discontinued. However, the number of people claiming unemployment in September 2012 was 21 percent higher than it was in September 2011.

Youth unemployment remains stable but still worse than last year. The number of people aged 25 or younger claiming unemployment in September was similar to that of August at 12 thousand, but over 50 percent higher than it was in September 2011.

The construction sector has been hit particularly hard by the recession. The number of unemployment benefits being paid to construction workers in September was almost 75 percent higher than it was in September 2011, and the number of unemployed (former) construction workers is now over 14 thousand.