The number of working in the Netherlands has been for tasks in the past three months. The number of unemployed in that period increased by 13 thousand per month, during that month there were 38 thousand more jobs per month. This is evident from figures from the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS).
According to the CBS, the number of jobs between the ages of 15 and 75 has been carried out in the Netherlands to 9.5 million people. In April this year, the Netherlands still had a total of 316 thousand unemployed. There are reasons for the fact that people are still unable to find work despite the great shortage on the labor market, says BNR’s resident economist Han de Jong. “Of course there can be a difference between what people are offered and what might be jobs in a country where people who are suitable don’t live.” According to De Jong, the number of vacancies in the Netherlands is currently faster than the number of people with a job.
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The economist points to the ‘explosion’ of jobs that disappeared under the lockdown measures in the first quarter of this year. Although many sectors in the Netherlands are struggling with staff shortages, there are many other vacancies in the hospitality industry and ‘face to face services’. The battle with the new figures, what new vacancies with type of work in which.
This week it was announced that the minimum wage will be raised earlier. However, according to De Jong, this is not an answer to the shortage. ‘Actually want to see your very specific wage increase, so in sectors where the shortage is greatest, that’s where wages should go up the most.’
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Fly in
In the short term it could help to fly people from other countries to fill the vacancies, De Jong thinks. ‘In certain sectors this is unavoidable.’ But in the long run, this isn’t the best solution either, he sees. ‘We all know, of course, that it makes social life extra complex in the long run.’ Another solution would be to deploy people remotely from ‘elsewhere in the world.’ “We have all learned to work remotely during the pandemic.”