Onwerkzame

Onwerkzame is a Dutch term used to describe people who are not active in the labor market. In statistical and policy contexts, it is often contrasted with werkzame or actief, which refers to those employed or actively participating in work. The form onwerkzame can function as an adjective, as in onwerkzame personen, or as a noun phrase, de onwerkzame.

Etymology and scope: The word is formed from the negating prefix on- and werkzame (active in work). In formal statistics, the preferred label for this group is inactieve beroepsbevolking or niet-werkenden, which broadly covers people who are not seeking or available for work, such as students, retirees, caregivers, and those with long-term illness who do not work or seek work.

Policy and analysis: The share of onwerkzame persons is used to measure labor market participation and is a counterpoint to the werkzame population. Changes in education, retirement ages, caregiving norms, and disability policies affect this group. The term is less common in official statistics than in general discourse, where inactieve sits more often; still, onwerkzame appears in some academic or journalistic texts.

See also: Werkzame; Niet-werkenden; Inactieve beroepsbevolking; Arbeidsdeelname.