There are 17.6 million inhabitants in the Netherlands, of whom 13.2 million are aged between 15 and 75. The net employment rate, i.e. the number of people in employment relative to the population aged 15-75, was 73% in 2022. The rate is slightly higher for men (76%) than for women (68%). Compared with other countries, the Netherlands has a very high net employment rate. Many young people already have part-time jobs while studying, and older people tend to keep working for longer. The retirement age was raised to 66 years and 7 months in 2022. In the Netherlands, however, work is often part-time. There is no other country in Europe where such a large proportion of women and men work part-time.
21% of the labour force in the Netherlands has only basic education, 38% intermediate and 41% higher. From an international perspective, many employees have a flexible employment relationship, and the Netherlands also has a relatively large number of self-employed persons without employees. The health and welfare sector is by far the largest sector with almost 1.5 million jobs (17% of the total). In second and third place are retail and manufacturing, each accounting for about 10% of jobs.
Economic growth reached 4.5% in 2022. The growth in 2022 is mainly due to higher consumption by households. The balance of trade, investment and public consumption also contributed positively. Growth had also been high in 2021 (4.9%). The economy has recovered strongly from the coronavirus year 2020 (-3.9%) and is also doing well in an international perspective. By March 2023, the Central Planning Bureau (CPB) estimated economic growth of 1.6% for 2023 and 1.4% for 2024. Unemployment rises slightly to 3.9% in 2023 and 4.1% in 2024, according to the CPB. A number of dampening factors in the international environment are weighing on growth: exports are associated with cooling global trade, while investment is also suffering from the high degree of geopolitical uncertainty (war in Ukraine) and higher interest rates. In addition, there are domestic factors that are holding back growth, such as the downturn in the housing market and the nitrogen problem. Furthermore, high inflation plays a negative role in people's purchasing power. The tight labour market may also be a drag on economic growth.
For more up-to-date information on the labour market, see
www.werk.nl/arbeidsmarktinformatie.
Links:
www.werk.nl/arbeidsmarktinformatie
The tension indicator of the UWV Employee Insurance Agency shows the tightness of the labour market for 92 occupational groups and 35 regions, calculated quarterly. This is done by taking the ratio between the number of unfilled vacancies and the number of jobseekers directly employable in the labour market. This number is then divided into five categories: very loose, loose, average, tight and very tight.
After the corona crisis, tension in the Dutch labour market increased sharply. In the fourth quarter of 2022, the labour market can be described as tight in 10 regions and very tight in 25 regions.
Tightness by occupation
In the last quarter of 2022, the labour market was very tight for 65 occupational groups and tight for 25. In the remaining two occupational groups, labour market tightness was 'average'. This situation applied to tour guides and auxiliary construction and industrial workers.
The top 15 occupational groups in the fourth quarter of 2022 with the tightest labour markets:
databank and network specialists |
software and application developers |
retail and wholesale managers |
electrical engineers |
machine fitters |
specialist nurses |
engineers (other than electrical) |
industry and construction production managers |
transport planners and logistics workers |
military occupations |
electricians and electronics mechanics |
nurses (senior secondary vocational education (MBO) level) |
financial specialists and economists |
auto mechanics |
laboratory technicians |
For more up-to-date information on the labour market, see https://www.werk.nl/arbeidsmarktinformatie/dashboards/spanningsindicator.
Links:
Unemployment in the Netherlands is low, from both a historical and European perspective. On average, 3.5% of the labour force was unemployed in 2022, which equates to 350 000 people. The unemployment rate for young people (aged 15 to 25) stands at 7.6% and for those over 45 years of age at 2.5%. Older people have a low chance of becoming unemployed, but once unemployed, it is difficult for them to find a new job. For 2024, the CPB expects a slight increase in the unemployment rate to 4.1% (415 000 people).
However, the employment potential is larger than the unemployment statistics show. There are also non-workers who are not directly available for work or are not looking for a job. They are not counted as unemployed, but as untapped labour potential. Furthermore, unutilised labour potential (“labour market slack”) includes “underemployed part-timers”. In the Netherlands, there are many people working part-time and one in eight of them would like to work more hours and are directly available to do so. This concerns half a million underemployed part-timers. Although unemployment in the Netherlands is low, the untapped labour potential is only just below the EU average.
UWV saw the number of unemployment benefit payments fall by 22% to just under 149 000 at the end of 2022. There were 192 000 people receiving unemployment benefits at the end of December 2021. However, part of that group, over 40%, is (partially) employed and also receiving supplementary unemployment benefits.
Most unemployment benefit recipients were registered for a business or administrative occupation (21%). They are mostly administrative employees, receptionists/telephonists, secretaries and accounting employees. There is only a limited chance of finding work in these occupations. Opportunities are, however, available for jobseekers looking for higher-skilled work. In many cases these are vacancies for individuals with higher financial or economic qualifications. It is expected that it will become more difficult to find work in this sector in the coming years due to continuing automation.
A relatively large proportion of the people on unemployment benefits is registered for a technical occupation (16%). This group mainly comprises individuals with lower education, such as construction workers or production employees. However, technically qualified jobseekers have a much better chance of finding work than people looking for an administrative role. The prospects of finding work are good for virtually all occupations with a technical background. Even more vacancies are expected in that occupational group in the coming years, with employers already having difficulty finding sufficiently qualified staff. The climate targets and energy transition will lead to further growth, both in construction (existing, new and non-residential structures) and in renewable energy transport.
Part of the labour force in the Netherlands is registered with the UWV (Employee Insurance Agency). This group consisted of 703 000 unemployed people at the end of 2022. This is a diverse group of jobseekers including those entitled to assistance and to unfitness for work benefits who are by no means all directly employable. Of the various groups that make up the registered jobseekers, on average those receiving unemployment benefits have the best prospects of finding work. They can often be put to work immediately and have recent work experience.
For more up-to-date information on the labour market, see
www.werk.nl/arbeidsmarktinformatie.
Links:
The provinces of Groningen, Friesland and Drenthe together form the northern part of the Netherlands. These three provinces belong to the sparsely populated parts of the country. The North Netherlands can be described as a rural area, but with the city of Groningen it also has a sub-region with urban characteristics and a corresponding focus on services, innovation and the development of knowledge.
Although the territory of the northern Netherlands is a fairly cohesive entity in terms of economic structure, it does have differences in emphasis. The provinces of Drenthe and Friesland (specifically the lake district and the intertidal sand and mud flats (‘wadden’) are geared to tourism. In the urban centres of Groningen and Assen there is a heavy concentration of companies and institutions engaged in public services and care. The city of Leeuwarden has a concentration of financial services. Industrial activities are mostly to be found in south-east Drenthe, eastern Groningen and in Friesland. Groningen Seaports (Eemshaven) is the largest seaport in the northern Netherlands. Initially, the port was used primarily for transhipment, but it is now also focusing increasingly on the energy transition and data-related activities.
The coronavirus crisis was very much being felt at the beginning of 2021, just as it was in 2020. There were few vacancies and a high number of jobseekers in many sectors. When the coronavirus measures were relaxed in mid-2021, there was a rapid increase in the number of vacancies. Sectors such as hospitality and ICT, in particular, were soon hit by a shortage of labour. Many sectors are currently experiencing a tight labour market, that is to say, there are more vacancies than available jobseekers.
However, the current uncertain situation in Ukraine may lead to new uncertainty in terms of demand, which is not yet perceptible. Many sectors are currently still experiencing a shortage of labour. Due to structural developments, such as demographic ageing, that situation is not expected to change in the coming years.
Unemployment has fallen sharply over the past year. This certainly offers opportunities for people at all levels of education in all sectors.
The largest sectors in the northern Netherlands are, for employee jobs, care and welfare (163 300, 22%), retail (82 800, 11%) and industry (81 400, 11%).
Figure 1. Sectors with the highest number of employee jobs in the region
Despite increasing inflation in 2022, the Dutch economy is performing relatively well. For 2023 too, despite inflation, weaker global trade and declining house prices, economic growth is forecast. Although labour market tension eased slightly in the second half of 2022, the labour market in the northern region remained tight. This means that there are more unfilled vacancies than available jobseekers.
Factors such as ageing, the move towards sustainability, and automation are relevant factors in the labour market. Almost nowhere in Europe is the proportion of working people over 55 as high as in the Netherlands. This will lead to a large outflow of pension-entitled retirees in the coming years. 11% of the working population in the northern region is 60-plus and, particularly in the health and welfare and industry sectors, we see that there will be a large number of retirements in the coming years. As a result, the labour force is expected to grow less rapidly or even decrease in the years ahead, contributing to the tight labour market.
For more information about current developments in the labour market, see www.werk.nl/arbeidsmarktinformatie.
Links:
The labour market in the northern Netherlands was very tight in 2022. In the fourth quarter of 2022 tension was highest for ICT occupations, care and welfare occupations, service, public administration and security occupations and legal professions. The number of vacancies varies by ISCO (International Standard Classification of Occupations) occupational level, which classifies the complexity and scope of tasks. In ICT occupations, many vacancies are open at ISCO occupational levels 3 and 4. For care and well-being occupations, the demand for ISCO occupational levels 2, 3 and 4 is fairly evenly distributed. Employers with vacancies in technical, business and administrative and sales functions mainly seek employees at ISCO occupational level 2.
Figure 2. Number of vacancies by ISCO occupational level - Quarter 4 2022
|
|
|
|
Technische beroepen | Technical occupations |
Bedrijfseconomische en administratieve beroepen | Business and administrative occupations |
Zorg en welzijn beroepen | Care and welfare occupations |
Commerciële beroepen | Sales occupations |
Dienstverlenende beroepen | Service occupations |
Transport en logistiej beroepen | Transport and logistics occupations |
Managers | Managers |
Pedagogische beroepen | Teaching occupations |
ICT beroepen | ICT occupations |
Openbaar bestuur, veiligheid en juridische beroepen | Public administration, security occupations and legal professions |
Agrarische beroepen | Agricultural occupations |
Creative en taalkundige beroepen | Creative and linguistic occupations |
In the northern Netherlands, there are also occupations that we know will provide opportunities in the coming period. These have been promising in recent years and less sensitive when the economy cools down. These are occupations such as industrial machinery and plant / mechatronics mechanics (installation, service, breakdown), truck drivers, residential care workers for the disabled and customer contact / customer service employees
Labour supply in the Netherlands is relatively low at the beginning of 2023. The unemployment rate has fallen considerably in recent years and, compared with other European countries, the Netherlands is also among those with the lowest unemployment rate (3.3%) (Eurostat, 2021).
On the one hand, the UWV has insight into the part of the labour supply that is registered with the UWV as jobseekers. These are people receiving unemployment benefit, partial unfitness for work benefit, social assistance benefit or registered jobseekers without benefit. In the northern Netherlands, that group consisted of 109 100 people at the end of 2022, including 77 000 with no employment. They make up a diverse group of jobseekers who are by no means all directly employable. Of the various groups that make up the registered jobseekers, on average those receiving unemployment benefits (16 000 people) have the best prospects of finding work: they can often be put to work immediately and have recent work experience. However, part of that group, about 40%, is partially employed and is also receiving supplementary unemployment benefits.
CBS also conducts research on labour supply, namely the labour market slack. In the northern Netherlands, this concerns 135 000 people, 10% of the total population between 15 and 75 years old, some of whom are also included in the UWV’s figures. The labour market slack consists of unemployed, semi-unemployed and underemployed part-timers. In the Netherlands, relatively many people work part-time, and some of this group (12%) would like to and is able to work more hours. This is a relatively small proportion compared with other European countries (CBS, 2021).
For more information about current developments in the labour market, see www.werk.nl/arbeidsmarktinformatie.
The provinces of North Brabant and Limburg together form the southern part of the Netherlands. About 3.7 million people live in the two provinces. This is almost one-fifth of the total population of the Netherlands. The South Netherlands can be described as a rural area, but the cities of Breda, Eindhoven, Maastricht and Venlo also give it a sub-region with urban characteristics and a corresponding focus on services, tourism, innovation and the development of knowledge.
Although the territory of the South Netherlands is a fairly cohesive entity in terms of economic structure, it does have differences in emphasis. The province of Limburg (particularly South Limburg) has the image of a tourist destination. In the urban centres there is a heavy concentration of companies and institutions engaged in public services and care. The city of Eindhoven has a concentration of innovation and technical development. Logistics and transport companies are mainly located in western and central Brabant.
The largest sectors in the South Netherlands, in terms of the number of employees’ jobs, are the care and well-being sector (296 500, 16%), industry (259 200, 14%) and retail trade (200 000, 11%) (CBS, 2021).
Figure 3. Sectors with the highest number of employee jobs in the region
Despite increasing inflation in 2022, the Dutch economy is performing relatively well. For 2023 too, despite inflation, weaker global trade and declining house prices, economic growth is forecast (CEP, 2023). Although labour market tension eased slightly in the second half of 2022, the labour market in the southern region remained (very) tight. This means that there are more unfilled vacancies than available jobseekers.
Factors such as ageing, the move towards sustainability, and automation all have a bearing on the labour market. Almost nowhere in Europe is the proportion of working people over 55 as high as in the Netherlands. This will lead to a large outflow of pension-entitled retirees in the coming years. 11% of the working population in the southern region is 60-plus and, particularly in the health and welfare and industry sectors, we see that there will be a large number of retirements in the coming years. As a result, the labour force is expected to grow less rapidly or even decrease in the years ahead, contributing to the tight labour market.
For more information about current developments in the labour market, see www.werk.nl/arbeidsmarktinformatie.
Links:
The labour market in the southern part of the Netherlands was very tight in 2022. In the fourth quarter of 2022, tension was highest for ICT occupations, service occupations, health and welfare occupations and technical occupations. The number of vacancies varies by ISCO (International Standard Classification of Occupations) occupational level, which classifies the complexity and scope of tasks. In ICT occupations, many vacancies are open at ISCO occupational levels 3 and 4. For care and well-being occupations, the demand for ISCO occupational levels 2, 3 and 4 is equally distributed. Employers with vacancies in technical, business and administrative functions mainly seek employees at ISCO occupational level 2.
Figure 4. Number of vacancies by ISCO occupational level - Quarter 4 2022
| ||
|
| |
| ||
| ||
Technische beroepen | Technical occupations |
Bedrijfseconomische en administratieve beroepen | Business and administrative occupations |
Commerciële beroepen | Sales occupations |
Transport en logistiej beroepen | Transport and logistics occupations |
Zorg en welzijn beroepen | Care and welfare occupations |
Dienstverlenende beroepen | Service occupations |
Managers | Managers |
ICT beroepen | ICT occupations |
Pedagogische beroepen | Teaching occupations |
Openbaar bestuur, veiligheid en juridische beroepen | Public administration, security occupations and legal professions |
Agrarische beroepen | Agricultural occupations |
Creative en taalkundige beroepen | Creative and linguistic occupations |
In the southern Netherlands, there are also occupations that we know will remain promising in the near future. These have been promising in recent years and less sensitive when the economy cools down. These are occupations such as industrial machinery and plant / mechatronics mechanics (installation, service, breakdown), truck drivers, and customer contact / customer service employees
Labour supply in the Netherlands is relatively low at the beginning of 2023. The unemployment rate has fallen considerably in recent years and, compared with other European countries, the Netherlands is also among those with the lowest unemployment rate (3.3%) (Eurostat, 2021).
On the one hand, the UWV has insight into the part of the labour supply that is registered with the UWV as jobseekers. These are people receiving unemployment benefit, partial unfitness for work benefit, social assistance benefit or registered jobseekers without benefit. In the southern Netherlands, that group consisted of 193 000 people at the end of 2022, of whom 138 000 with no employment. They make up a diverse group of jobseekers who are by no means all directly employable. Of the various groups that make up the registered jobseekers, on average those receiving unemployment benefits (33 000 people) have the best prospects of finding work: they can often be put to work immediately and have recent work experience. However, part of that group, about 40%, is partially employed and is also receiving supplementary unemployment benefits.
CBS also conducts research on labour supply, namely the labour market slack. In the southern Netherlands, this concerns 243 000 people, 9% of the total population between 15 and 75 years old, some of whom are also included in the UWV’s figures. The labour market slack consists of unemployed, semi-unemployed and underemployed part-timers. In the Netherlands, relatively many people work part-time, and some of this group (12%) would like to and is able to work more hours. This is a relatively small proportion compared with other European countries (CBS, 2021).
In the southern Netherlands there is a high level of cross-border commuting with both Belgium and Germany. The bottlenecks on the labour market are similar on both sides of the border, however. There are jobseekers who also look for work outside the country's borders. Grensmatch is the job vacancy tool for cross-border work in these regions.
The provinces of Gelderland, Flevoland and Overijssel together form the eastern part of the Netherlands. The region has a great deal of natural beauty, a rich cultural history, a diverse business community and three major universities. Taken together, almost 4 million people live in these provinces, accounting for 21% of the total population. The province of Gelderland has the largest population, with 2 million inhabitants.
The eastern provinces are characterised by a strong presence of service sectors. Traditionally, the manufacturing industry and agriculture have also had a strong presence in this part of the country. The labour market in these regions is regarded as tight or very tight.
The largest sectors in the East Netherlands, in terms of the number of employees jobs, are the care and well-being sector (337 100, 18%), industry (203 400, 11%) and retail trade (200 300, 11%) (CBS, 2021). The Achterhoek and Twente are peripheral regions and, due to the sectors present there, they are more sensitive to seasonality than the national average. As a border region, the eastern Netherlands form a logistical link between the Netherlands’ Randstad and Germany’s Ruhr conurbations. A joint cross-border work programme with Germany has been in place for over 50 years.
Figure 5. Sectors with the highest number of employee jobs in the region
Despite increasing inflation in 2022, the Dutch economy is performing relatively well. For 2023 too, despite inflation, weaker global trade and declining house prices, economic growth is forecast (CEP, 2023). Although labour market tension eased slightly in the second half of 2022, the labour market in the eastern region in particular remained (very) tight. This means that there are more unfilled vacancies than available jobseekers.
Factors such as ageing, the move towards sustainability, and automation all have a bearing on the labour market. Almost nowhere in Europe is the proportion of working people over 55 as high as in the Netherlands. This will lead to a large outflow of pension-entitled retirees in the coming years. 11% of the working population in the eastern region is 60-plus and, particularly in the health and welfare and industry sectors, we see that there will be a large number of retirements in the coming years. As a result, the labour force is expected to grow less rapidly or even decrease in the years ahead, contributing to the tight labour market.
For more information about current developments in the labour market, see www.werk.nl/arbeidsmarktinformatie.
Links:
The labour market in the eastern part of the Netherlands was very tight in 2022. In the fourth quarter of 2022, tension was highest for ICT occupations, service occupations and technical occupations. The number of vacancies varies by ISCO (International Standard Classification of Occupations) occupational level, which classifies the complexity and scope of tasks. In ICT occupations, many vacancies are open at ISCO occupational levels 3 and 4. For care and well-being occupations, the demand for ISCO occupational levels 2, 3 and 4 is equally distributed. Employers with vacancies in technical, business and administrative functions mainly seek employees at ISCO occupational level 2.
Figure 6. Number of vacancies by ISCO occupational level - Quarter 4 2022
- Occupational level 1: simple routine tasks, for which elementary or primary education is sufficient;
- Occupational level 2: low to medium complexity tasks requiring primary or secondary education;
- Occupational level 3: complex tasks requiring secondary or higher education;
- Occupational level 4: highly complex specialised tasks requiring higher or scientific education.
Technische beroepen | Technical occupations |
Bedrijfseconomische en administratieve beroepen | Business and administrative occupations |
Commerciële beroepen | Sales occupations |
Dienstverlenende beroepen | Service occupations |
Transport en logistiej beroepen | Transport and logistics occupations |
Zorg en welzijn beroepen | Care and welfare occupations |
Pedagogische beroepen | Teaching occupations |
Agrarische beroepen | Agricultural occupations |
Openbaar bestuur, veiligheid en juridische beroepen | Public administration, security occupations and legal professions |
Creative en taalkundige beroepen | Creative and linguistic occupations |
ICT beroepen | ICT occupations |
Managers | Managers |
In the eastern Netherlands, there are also occupations that we know will remain promising in the near future. These have been promising in recent years and less sensitive when the economy cools down. These are occupations such as industrial machinery and plant / mechatronics mechanics (installation, service, breakdown), residential care workers for the disabled and customer contact / customer service employees
Labour supply in the Netherlands is relatively low at the beginning of 2023. The unemployment rate has fallen considerably in recent years and, compared with other European countries, the Netherlands is also among those with the lowest unemployment rate (3.3%) (Eurostat, 2021).
On the one hand, the UWV has insight into the part of the labour supply that is registered with the UWV as jobseekers. These are people receiving unemployment benefit, partial unfitness for work benefit, social assistance benefit or registered jobseekers without benefit. At the end of 2022, the group consisted of 194 500 persons in the eastern Netherlands, of which 135 500 were without employment. They make up a diverse group of jobseekers who are by no means all directly employable. Of the various groups that make up the registered jobseekers, on average those receiving unemployment benefits (28 500 people) have the best prospects of finding work: they can often be put to work immediately and have recent work experience. However, part of that group, about 40%, is partially employed and is also receiving supplementary unemployment benefits.
CBS also conducts research on labour supply, namely the labour market slack. In the eastern Netherlands this concerns 271 000 people, 10% of the total population aged between 15 and 75, some of whom are also included in the UWV’s figures. The labour market slack consists of unemployed, semi-unemployed and underemployed part-timers. In the Netherlands, relatively many people work part-time, and some of this group (12%) would like to and is able to work more hours. This is a relatively small proportion compared with other European countries (CBS, 2021).
In the eastern Netherlands, there interaction in border work with Germany. The bottlenecks on the labour market are similar on both sides of the border, however. There are jobseekers who also look for work outside the country's borders. Grensmatch is the job vacancy tool for cross-border work in these regions.
The provinces of North Holland, South Holland, Utrecht and Zeeland together form the western part of the Netherlands. The country’s four largest cities (Amsterdam, Rotterdam, The Hague and Utrecht) are located in this area, which is also known as the Randstad. About 8.5 million people live in the Randstad region. This is almost half of the total population of the Netherlands. Most of the employment in the Netherlands can therefore be found here.
The provinces of North Holland (around the city of Amsterdam) and Utrecht are characterised by a large presence of the administrative and service sectors. These sectors, which include financial services as well as personal services, are characterised by a high level of employment. In addition, major cities offer a wide variety of employment opportunities in airports and tourism. The latter is found more in the northern part of the province of North Holland, in cities such as Zaanstad and Alkmaar.
Rotterdam and The Hague are the two major cities in the province of South Holland. The port of Rotterdam is very important for employment. The city of The Hague is the administrative centre of the Netherlands, which creates a strong demand for employees in the public administration in particular.
By contrast, the province of Zeeland is a rural area with a high level of tourism and an industrial presence (chemicals).
However, as in the rest of the Netherlands, the health and welfare sector is the largest in terms of the number of employee jobs. In the western Netherlands, the total number of employee jobs is 680 000. This is followed by retail, with just over 435 000 employee jobs, and specialised business services (369 000). The manufacturing sector is also large in the western Netherlands (291 000, 6.7%) but its presence is less marked than in the rest of the Netherlands, where it accounts for almost 10% of all employee jobs.
Figure 7. Sectors with the highest number of employee jobs in the region
Despite increasing inflation in 2022, the Dutch economy is performing relatively well. For 2023 too, despite inflation, weaker global trade and declining house prices, economic growth is forecast (CEP, 2023). Although labour market tension eased slightly in the second half of 2022, the labour market in the western region remained (very) tight. This means that there are more unfilled vacancies than available jobseekers.
The labour force is expected to grow less strongly in the coming years. Almost nowhere in Europe is the proportion of working people over 55 as high as in the Netherlands. This will lead to a large outflow of pension-entitled retirees in the coming years. In the big cities, 9% of the working population is 60+ in the western region (11% in the more rural areas). In particular, in the public administration, health and welfare sectors, as well as education, we see that there will be a large outflow of pensioners in the coming years. As a result, the labour force is expected to grow less rapidly or even decrease in the years ahead, contributing to the tight labour market
For more information about current developments in the labour market, see www.werk.nl/arbeidsmarktinformatie.
Links:
The labour market in the western Netherlands was tight to very tight in 2022: In the fourth quarter of 2022, tension was highest for ICT occupations, service occupations, health and welfare occupations and technical occupations. The tightness varies by ISCO (International Standard Classification of Occupations) occupational level, which classifies the complexity and scope of tasks. In ICT occupations, many vacancies are open at ISCO occupational levels 3 and 4. For care and well-being occupations, the demand for ISCO occupational levels 2, 3 and 4 is equally distributed. Employers with vacancies in technical, business and administrative functions mainly seek employees at ISCO occupational level 2.
Figure 8. Number of vacancies by ISCO occupational level - Quarter 4 2022
In the western Netherlands, there are also occupations that we know will remain promising in the coming period. These have been promising in recent years and less sensitive when the economy cools down. These are occupations such as designers/architects of ICT systems, customer contact/customer service staff, industrial machinery and installations/mechatronics technicians, production planners and truck drivers.
Bedrijfseconomische en administratieve beroepen | Business and administrative occupations |
Technische beroepen | Technical occupations |
Commerciële beroepen | Sales occupations |
Zorg en welzijn beroepen | Care and welfare occupations |
Managers | Managers |
Dienstverlenende beroepen | Service occupations |
ICT beroepen | ICT occupations |
Transport en logistiej beroepen | Transport and logistics occupations |
Pedagogische beroepen | Teaching occupations |
Openbaar bestuur, veiligheid en juridische beroepen | Public administration, security occupations and legal professions |
Creative en taalkundige beroepen | Creative and linguistic occupations |
Agrarische beroepen | Agricultural occupations |
Labour supply in the Netherlands is relatively low at the beginning of 2023. The unemployment rate has fallen considerably in recent years and, compared with other European countries, the Netherlands is also among those with the lowest unemployment rate (3.3%) (Eurostat, 2021).
On the one hand, the UWV has insight into the part of the labour supply that is registered with the UWV as jobseekers. These are people receiving unemployment benefit, partial unfitness for work benefit, social assistance benefit or registered jobseekers without benefit. In the western Netherlands, that group consisted of 465 000 people at the end of 2022, of whom 350 000 with no employment. They make up a diverse group of jobseekers who are by no means all directly employable. Of the various groups that make up the registered jobseekers, on average those receiving unemployment benefits (69 000 people) have the best prospects of finding work: they can often be put to work immediately and have recent work experience. However, part of that group, about 40%, is partially employed and is also receiving supplementary unemployment benefits.
CBS also conducts research on labour supply, namely the labour market slack. In the western Netherlands, this concerns 672 000 people, 11% of the total population aged between 15 and 75, some of whom are also included in the UWV’s figures. The labour market slack consists of unemployed, semi-unemployed and underemployed part-timers. In the Netherlands, relatively many people work part-time, and some of this group (12%) would like to and is able to work more hours. This is a relatively small proportion compared with other European countries (CBS, 2021).
In the western Netherlands, cross-border labour exists in Zeeland, mainly with Belgium. The bottlenecks on the labour market are similar on both sides of the border, however. Grensmatch is the job vacancy tool for cross-border work in these regions.