Multilingual and Highly Educated Labor Market
Despite its small size, the Netherlands’ labor market can have a tremendous impact on your business. Businesses in the Netherlands are well-equipped with the help of the highly-flexible Dutch labor market.
From a holistic perspective, the employment climate in the Netherlands is strong, with low unemployment, relatively generous wages and pleasant working conditions. This also includes secondary conditions such as decent sick leave benefits, retirement schemes and holidays.The labor market in the Netherlands is characterized by a large share of part-time and flexible work arrangements and labor contracts. All told, the Netherlands is known for stability, cooperation and transparency when it comes to labor relations.
A top workforce in Europe
The Dutch workforce is highly educated, productive, diverse and multilingual. In case you’re wondering whether the Dutch speak English, the answer is yes. 90% of the Dutch population is fluent in English and has some of the best English as a second language skills in the world according to the EF English Proficiency Index. The Netherlands’ ranks high for its digital skills and outpaces many other European countries when it comes to technology adoption. In fact, half of the Dutch population (aged 16 to 74 years) have above basic overall digital skills, versus an average of 33% in the European Union, according to research by Statistics Netherlands. This is largely a result of the Netherlands’ high standard of education, pragmatic labor laws and commitment to life-long learning.
Attracting and nurturing talent
The Netherlands’ labor market is only strengthened by the international students that stay put after graduation. Strong job opportunities and the Netherlands’ high quality of life are just two reasons why nearly a quarter of international students choose to live in the Netherlands for five years after graduating. This high stay-rate accounts for roughly 22,000 international workers from countries all over the work, including Germany, Belgium and Italy. In addition, as an internationally oriented country, the Netherlands is also home to more than one million foreign workers and offers a “Highly Skilled Migrant Visa,” which allows companies to bring highly qualified expats to their Netherlands operations. The Dutch welcome international workers – in addition to their creative thinking and diverse backgrounds.
