For a while, figures from Statistics Netherlands (CBS) have shown that the Netherlands is facing a growing employment crisis, with the number of job vacancies significantly outnumbering the number of unemployed people. New figures have shown that, at the end of September, this labour shortage reached a new high. 

The Netherlands records more job vacancies than unemployed 

According to CBS, at the end of the second quarter of 2021, there were 327.000 jobs available, which amounted to 106 vacancies for every 100 unemployed people. At the time, this figure was the highest ever recorded by the Dutch statistics office. 

Now, the Netherlands has broken its own record. By the end of the third quarter of this year, CBS reported 371.000 unfilled jobs. This means there are now 126 job vacancies for every 100 unemployed people. 

During this period, the number of jobs in the Netherlands increased by 162.000, exceeding the 11 million mark for the first time. This number includes all people in the Netherlands who are registered as employed, whether they be self-employed, in full-time or part-time work.

Dutch hospitality sector suffering from severe staff shortages

Once again, jobs available in trade, business services, and the healthcare sector account for half of all vacancies in the Netherlands. But over the summer, the number of vacancies increased across almost all sectors. In the hospitality industry, there are over 34.000 jobs on offer, while the Dutch healthcare system is short over 51.000 people. 

Relatively speaking, the hospitality industry is suffering from the most severe staff shortages; at the end of September, there were 83 jobs available for every 1.000 employees in this sector. 

CBS attributes this growing labour shortage to the continued growth in the number of unfilled vacancies. Businesses across the country have struggled to recruit workers, as the coronavirus pandemic and ensuing lockdowns forced thousands to find other work.