Hays Skills Index: The Netherlands

The Hays Skills Index for 2018 shows that in The Netherlands wage growth was greater for lower skilled industries, demand for permanent workers is high due poor labour legsilation of self employed workers.

Netherlands flag
The Netherlands is on of Europe's most significant economies, receiving 7% of FDI into Europe, equal to that of France and Germany*. Forbes rank it as #3 in the 'Best Countries for Business' table. It is the world's second largest agricultural exporter with a significant food processing sector. Other key industries include chemicals, petroleum refining, and electrical machinery. In 2017, the unemployment rate in the Netherlands fell by 1.1 percentage points to 4.9%.This reflects the growth in employment of over 2%. Much of the growth was in self-employment and amongst employees with temporary contracts.The pick-up in demand for labour also boosted earnings. Gross wages and salaries rose by 3.8% in 2017. This is
its fastest rate since 2008. Among those who benefitted were lower-skilled workers, whose wage growth outstripped their higher-skilled counterparts.


Dutch employment skills - view from the ground

The number of vacancies in the Netherlands peaked in 2017. The working population showed a sharp increase versus 2016, mostly due to an increase of permanent
jobs. The rebound of permanent jobs is a remarkable turnaround after years of an increasing contingent workforce. Employers focus on retention of staff in times when finding staff is difficult. This trend is supported by unclear legislation for self-employed workers. While jobs in the administrative and financial sector are still in decline, we are seeing a structural skills shortage in nearly all other sectors, led by industrial, IT, scientific and services. Among the many sought-after roles, ‘recruiter’ is the most in demand, reflecting the overall demand for staff across most sectors. To face these challenges the Netherlands needs to improve the local education system and attractiveness for foreign knowledge workers.Robert van Veggel, Managing Director, Hays Netherlands

Key skills in demand

  • Account Managers
  • Project Leads
  • Software Engineers
  • Customer Services
  • Work Planners (Construction)
*Source: The FDI Report 2018. FDI Intelligence by The Financial Times
Click here to browse and download the Hays' Global Skills Index 2018 on their website.

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