Annual Intelligence Report · 2026 Edition
State of Hiring & Recruitment
Netherlands 2026
Comprehensive data-driven analysis of the Dutch labour market — vacancies, wages, flexible work, AI adoption & sector hotspots
380KOpen Vacancies
4.0%Unemployment Rate
76.3%Labour Participation
€14.71/hrMinimum Wage Jan 2026
97:100Vacancies per Unemployed
Sources: CBS Statistics Netherlands · UWV Employee Insurance Agency · DNB De Nederlandsche Bank · Rabobank
11.7M
Total Jobs in NL
Record high Q4 2025 (CBS)
380K
Open Vacancies
Down 3.3% from Q4 2024
4.0%
Unemployment Rate
Highest since Sept 2021 (CBS)
9.1%
Youth Unemployment
Ages 15–24, Nov 2025 (CBS)
82.4%
Employment Rate
Ages 20–64, Q3 2025 (CBS)
1.1%
Job Growth Forecast
2025–2027 (UWV)
1.3%
GDP Growth 2026F
DNB Spring Projections 2025
100K
Net New Jobs 2024–27
vs 300K in 2022–2024 (UWV)
📌 The Dutch labour market in 2026 presents a “paradox”: headline indicators show cooling (more unemployed than vacancies for first time since 2021) yet structural shortages in healthcare, ICT, and construction persist, keeping conditions tight for skilled workers despite the broader moderation.
Sources: CBS · DNB Labour Market · UWV Region in Focus 2025–2026 · Dutch Ministry SZW
97:100
Vacancies per 100 Unemployed
End of 2025; peak was 142 in Spring 2022 (DNB)
45%
Vacancies Hard to Fill
Down from 53% in prior years (UWV 2025)
87%
Cite Lack of Applicants
Primary employer barrier (UWV 2025 survey)
250K+
Skilled Worker Gap
Forecast by Dutch Ministry SZW, 2026
SECTORS WITH HIGHEST STAFF SHORTAGE INCIDENCE
Transport / Logistics88%+ firms report shortages
Security / Cleaning / Business Svcs82%+ firms report shortages
Healthcare & WelfarePersistent structural shortage
Construction & Skilled Trades70,000 foreign workers in sector
ICT / TechnologyGrowing sector, highest wage growth
13
Extremely Tight Regions
5+ vacancies per jobseeker (UWV 35-region report)
3.5:1
Avg Vacancy Ratio
National average all 35 regions (UWV)
1.5M
Vacancies Arise Per Year
Mainly replacement demand (UWV 2025)
36%
High Wage Demands
% employers citing as hiring barrier (UWV)
Sources: CBS CLA Statistics · CPB Central Planning Bureau · NB Recruitment Salary Guide 2026 · Dutch Ministry SZW · Playroll
€3,950
Avg Gross Monthly Salary
~€47,400/yr (Playroll 2026)
€48,000
Median Gross Annual Salary
CPB median projection 2026
€14.71/hr
Statutory Minimum Wage
From Jan 1 2026 — +2.15% (SZW)
+5.0%
CLA Wage Growth 2025
Among highest in 40 years (CBS Jan 2026)
+1.6%
Real Wage Growth 2025
After inflation adjustment (CBS Q3 2025)
+7.4%
ICT Sector Wage Growth
Highest sector increase 2025 (CBS)
+4.5%
CLA Wages Q1 2026
+2% above inflation (CBS Apr 2026)
75%
Employees Covered by CLA
3 in 4 Dutch workers (CBS)
NEGOTIATED WAGE GROWTH BY SECTOR — 2025 (CBS)
ICT / Information & Communication
Private Sector (Overall Average)
Semi-Public / Healthcare Inst.
Public Sector / Government
€82KLife Sciences
€78KFinance
€72KICT / Tech
€65KEngineering
€52KHealthcare
€48KEducation
€38KRetail
€32KHospitality
📌 Between 2020–2025, wages rose 25.1% while consumer prices rose 25.0% — real purchasing power held broadly stable despite the inflationary crisis. Private sector wages in Q1 2026 outpaced public sector: +4.9% vs +3.4%.
Sources: CBS · Eurofound Living & Working EU 2025 · PwC Netherlands · DutchReview · Law & More · RemoFirst
52%
WFH Adoption Rate
Sometimes or usually (CBS 2025); 5M+ workers
83%
Men: Remote Access
Highest for men in EU (Eurofound 2025)
72%
Women: Remote Access
Highest for women in EU (Eurofound 2025)
1.3M
Self-Employed (ZZP)
CBS Q4 2023; Wet DBA enforcement 2025+
6.5 hrs
Avg Weekly WFH Hours
Dutch government workforce survey
4 in 10
WFH at Least 2x / Week
Double pre-pandemic rate (DutchReview)
€2.40
WFH Allowance / Day
Tax-free thuiswerkvergoeding 2025
19.6%
Temp Contract Workers
Nearly 2× EU27 avg of 10.5% (ELA 2023)
Sources: SHRM 2026 · Insight Global AI Hiring Survey 2025 · DemandSage · Adams Multilingual · IQTalent · MSH
43%
AI Use in HR 2026
Up from 26% in 2024 (SHRM)
7 Tools
Avg AI Tools / Company
Dutch firms (Adams Recruitment 2025)
−30%
Cost-per-Hire Reduction
Via AI recruitment adoption
98%
Efficiency Improvement
Hiring managers using AI (IG 2025)
€1.12B
AI Recruit Mkt Size 2032
CAGR 6.8% from $704M 2025 (DemandSage)
+48%
Diversity Hire Uplift
AI with clear objectives (IQTalent 2026)
+68%
AI Tool Adoption YoY
Growth from 2023 to 2024 (DemandSage)
Aug 2025
EU AI Act Active
HR tech compliance obligations (Reuters)
⚖️ The EU AI Act’s general-purpose AI obligations went live in August 2025, raising compliance expectations for Dutch employers deploying automated hiring tools. Annual bias audits and candidate transparency notices are now legally required for AI-assisted employment decisions.
Sources: UWV · ManpowerGroup · CBS · European Labour Authority · NuCamp · TechTalent NL
STRUCTURAL SHORTAGE
💊
Healthcare & Welfare
2030+
40K workers needed 2024–27 to replace retirees alone. Shortage projected to last beyond 2030 (ELA / UWV).
STRONGEST GROWTH
💻
ICT / Technology
+7.4%
Highest wage growth in 2025. 60% of Dutch tech firms ramped AI investment. Amsterdam & Eindhoven as EU tech hubs.
EMERGING BOOM
⚡
Renewable Energy
+22%
Cloud & green energy market growing 22% by 2025. Heat pump & solar installer demand reaching “forever shortage” levels.
CHRONIC GAP
🏗
Construction
70K
Foreign workers currently in Dutch construction. 50K+ more needed 2024–27. Government 2030 housing target keeps demand locked high.
Life Sciences: 33% Net Employment Outlook Q2 2025
6 points above Dutch all-sector average, driven by cell & gene therapy manufacturing. EMA Amsterdam relocation attracts global regulatory talent (ManpowerGroup Q2 2025).
60% of Dutch Tech Firms Increased AI Investment in 2025
Cloud market projected to grow 22% by end of 2025. Entry-level salaries at Optiver, IMC Trading, Databricks starting at €60K+ (NuCamp / Dutch Nat. Data Analytics).
Top Skills in Demand — 2026
AI & Machine Learning
Cloud Architecture
Cybersecurity
Data Engineering
Nursing / Elder Care
Electrical / HVAC
TIG / MIG Welding
Truck Driving (C/CE)
Software Development
Civil Engineering
Supply Chain Mgmt
QA / GMP Compliance
Pharma Research
Renewable Energy Eng.
Sources: CBS · UWV Region in Focus · DNB Autumn Projections 2025 · IND · Personio Workforce Pulse 2024 · SZW
73.2%
Labour Participation (Record)
Ages 15–75 in 2024; up from 66.7% in 2014 (UWV)
90%
Participation Ages 25–65
End of 2025 — DNB Labour Market
1.2M
Unused Labour Potential
Record low; incl. 510K underemployed (UWV)
4.3%
Unemployment Forecast 2027
Slight drift upward (DNB Autumn Projections)
€5,942
HSM Monthly Salary (30+)
Highly Skilled Migrant threshold Jan 2026 (IND)
46%
Employees Seeking New Job
Within 12 months (Personio Pulse 2024)
5–10%
Non-Dutch Speaker Gap
Lower pay at same role (NLCompass 2026)
Jun 2026
EU Pay Transparency Deadline
Directive transposition (EU Member States)
📌 The Netherlands is approaching the limits of domestic labour supply — with 90% participation among core working-age adults, further growth must come from immigration, reskilling, and productivity gains rather than simply activating more workers.
