Amsterdam - Unemployment in the Netherlands rose to 285,000 people or a rate of 3.7 per cent in the fourth quarter of 2008, up from 3.6 per cent in the preceding quarter, the Dutch Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS) reported Thursday.

"We are moving from a good to a bad situation at an unprecedented speed," CBS economist Michiel Vergeer said.

He said the rapid weakening of the Dutch economy is due to boost unemployment further in the months ahead. "Unemployment always responds with some delay on economic developments." (dpa)