The Netherlands continues to face a growing shortage of workers, with recent figures published by Statistics Netherlands (CBS) revealing the extent of the national labour crisis. In the first quarter of this year, the Dutch unemployment rate reached its lowest level in almost 20 years, while the number of job vacancies continued to rise.

Job vacancies in the Netherlands reach record highs

Unemployment has been falling and the number of vacancies has been steadily rising since mid-2020, with each quarter going on to break the previous quarter's record. This trend has continued into 2022; between the end of 2021 and the end of March 2022, the number of job vacancies for every 100 unemployed people rose from 106 to 133. 

During the winter, the number of jobs available in the Netherlands rose by 59.000, while the number of people looking for work fell by 32.000, putting the national rate of unemployment at just 3,5 percent. According to CBS, at the end of March there were over 451.000 jobs available, bringing the total number of full-time and part-time jobs in the Netherlands to a record high of 11 million. 

Dutch trade sector facing the most severe staff shortages

Various sectors across the Netherlands are facing severe staff shortages following the coronavirus pandemic. The result has been bad news for businesses, but good news for those looking for work, as entrepreneurs raise salaries and look for new ways to attract new employees to their companies. 

The industries facing the most significant shortages are trade, business services and healthcare, with CBS recording over 224.000 job vacancies in these industries alone at the end of the first quarter. Meanwhile, vacancies in the hospitality industry saw the most significant increase, with the number of jobs available rising from 30.000 in December to 44.000 in March.