Banengroei

In Dutch-language contexts, banengroei denotes employment growth—the rate at which the number of employed people or available jobs increases in an economy over a period. It serves as a key indicator of labor market strength and overall economic performance. In practice, analysts measure it as net changes in employment during a period (often quarterly or yearly), sometimes expressed as an annual growth rate or as a percentage of total employment.

Data come from labor force surveys, business establishment surveys, and national accounts. In many countries, employment growth is broken down by sector (services, industry, agriculture) and by job type (full-time vs. part-time). Related indicators include the unemployment rate, the employment-to-population ratio, and hours worked.

Causes and policy: Banengroei is driven by macroeconomic demand, productivity, and labor supply. Higher GDP growth, investment, and export demand tend to boost job creation, while automation and skills mismatches can alter its composition. Policy can influence it through macro stabilization, active labor market programs, education and vocational training, infrastructure investment, and immigration policies. Institutional factors such as wage setting and labor regulations also affect the pace and quality of growth.

Regional and quality considerations: Employment growth can vary across regions and sectors; rapid job creation does not always translate into better living standards if the newly created jobs are low-paid or precarious. Critics highlight measurement limitations, such as counting jobs without hours or ignoring underemployment.

See also: Employment, Labor market, Unemployment, GDP growth, Job creation.