A survey by the Research Centre for Education and the Labour Market (ROA) has revealed that university graduates with international backgrounds earn more than their Dutch counterparts, narrowing the gap in the labour market in the Netherlands.

Gap between international and Dutch graduates narrows

Every year, the ROA conducts a large-scale survey called the HBO-monitor that looks at how young adults fare 18 months after graduating with a Bachelor’s degree from a Dutch university. Over the years, 168.528 people have taken part in the survey, with over 25.000 graduates having a migration background - the graduates themselves or at least one of their parents come from outside the Netherlands.

A trend that has been noted is that since 2019, graduates with migrant backgrounds have been receiving higher wages than their Dutch peers. The most recent survey for 2023 shows that an international who recently received their HBO diploma earns on average 70 cents more per hour than a graduate with a fully Dutch background, Trouw has reported. This figure was adjusted for any differences in age, gender and field of study. 

These findings come soon after research by Statistics Netherlands (CBS) found that immigrants and their children are increasingly closing the gap with the local population in terms of homeownership, income levels and education. For example, more international children attend HAVO and VWO classes than a decade ago. 

Job search takes longer for international graduates

While international graduates earn more, it takes them longer to find jobs and internships. In 2023, it took graduates with migrant backgrounds 10 days more on average to get their first job compared to those with Dutch backgrounds.

However, the good news is that this difference does seem to be diminishing. For instance, if you look at results in 2014, it took expat graduates 50 days more than Dutch graduates to find a job. 

Maarten Wolbers, a sociology professor not involved in the study, finds the results accurate. “It takes a bit longer for people with a migration background to get to work. But once they do, the differences seem to disappear,” he noted. 

Tight labour market improves job availability for international graduates

According to the researchers, the results seen from the study are partly caused by the tight labour market in the Netherlands. “Staff shortages have forced employers to be much less selective,” said Arnold Hendrikse.

A possible reason given for the higher earnings of internationals is that they are under more pressure from their parents to be successful, likely choosing better-paying jobs. “Or they are more ambitious because they have sometimes taken a longer road to a job,” claimed Melline Somers.

Wolbers suggests an alternative explanation that international students don’t necessarily follow the same route as locals. Instead of going directly from HAVO to HBO, they often complete MBO programmes in between. “That takes longer, but also has advantages,” explains Wolbers. “At MBO, you gain a lot of practical experience during internships or apprenticeships. This gives you an advantage over HBO graduates who come straight from HAVO.”

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