In 2024, the employment rate in China decreased to around 62.4 percent, from 62.8 percent in the previous year. China is the world’s most populous country and its rapid economic development over the past decades has profited greatly from its large labor market. While the overall working conditions for the Chinese people are improving, the actual size of the working-age population in China has been shrinking steadily in recent years. This is mainly due to a low birth rate in the country. Economic slowdown – impact on labor market After decades of rapid development, the world’s second largest economy now seems to have difficulties to boost its economy further. The GDP growth rate indicated a declining trend over the last decade and the number of employed people decreased for the first time since decades in 2015. Under the influence of the global economic downturn, the coronavirus pandemic, and the US-China tensions, many Chinese enterprises are having tough times, which leads to a recession in China’s labor market. Chances for better employment situation The long-lasting Sino-U.S. trade war has caused China great loss on its international trade sector, which has been driving China’s economic growth for decades. However, there is also a lot China could improve. First, the potential of domestic demands could be further developed and satisfied with high-quality products. Second, it’s a good timing to eliminate backward industries with low value added, and the high-tech and environment-friendly industries should be further promoted. In addition, China’s market could be more open to services, especially in the financial sector and IT services, to attract more foreign investors. Highly skilled talents should be better valued in the labor market. Efficient vocational education and further education could also help change the structure of China’s labor market.

According to quarterly pulse monitors, the Dutch economy will face a recession in 2020 due to the coronavirus and geopolitical events. This according to one of five sources in the Netherlands that presented an economic outlook for 2020. From 2018 to 2019, GDP in the Netherlands showed a *** percent growth. On March 9, 2020, Rabobank economists calculated that a *** percent of GDP growth was expected for 2020. The source originally noted, however, that this is not only due to the coronavirus outbreak. The Netherlands also was going to feel the future effects of the United Kingdom leaving the EU, as the UK was one of the Netherlands’ biggest trading partners. During March 2020, the Dutch economy was also negatively impacted by events such as the U.S. -China trade war or the sudden drop in oil prices. By June 2020, the *** percent GDP growth forecast was revised to minus *** percent.

Is COVID-19 going to have a bigger impact in the Netherlands than in other European countries?

According to a forecast from the European Commission conducted in July 2020, the Dutch economy suffered a GDP hit of *** percent quarter-to-quarter in Q1 2020. In addition, a projected quarterly GDP decline of **** percent was estimated in Q2 2020. Real GDP for the year 2020 was predicted to decline by **** percent, a figure that was lower than real GDP losses predicted for other European countries. While the Netherlands successfully adopted emergency measures to protect employment, it was expected that the Dutch economy would be affected by lower private consumption and exports. Economic consequences in the Netherlands were predicted to be not as negative as in other countries. Belgium, for instance, was expected to face a GDP loss of **** percent.

Back to reality: Dutch economic consequences so far

The coronavirus and its resulting quarantine measures caused, the largest decrease in domestic household consumption in the Netherlands in over 20 years. Restaurants were believed to be especially hit by the pandemic, whereas expenditure on food, beverages, and tobacco went up. Furthermore, between May and June 2020, the monthly unemployment rate of the Netherlands increased greatly. In January 2020, the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for ages 15 until 75 years stood at ***** percent, whereas by July it had increased to *** percent.