Employers are raising wages to attract workers amid the Dutch labor crisis

As the Netherlands faces a growing labor crisis, staff shortages in various sectors and rising inflation, a recent investigation WELL found that Dutch companies are more likely to raise wages to attract new employees.

The Netherlands is facing a growing labor crisis after COVID-19

According to data published by Randstad Groep Nederland earlier this week, the labor crisis in the Netherlands has reached new highs, with a record number of more than 400,000 jobs in a number of key sectors. “We see deficits in all sectors, and this problem has not yet been resolved,” said CEO Dominique Hermans.

The areas facing the greatest staff shortages are technology and IT, construction, manufacturing, transport and logistics, and the Netherlands is also projected to face a growing health crisis. “By 2030, we will have a shortage of at least 100,000 people in health care,” said market analyst Bart van Krimpen.

A recent study by the Quinyx management platform added fuel to the fire, showing that 40 percent of hospitality, retail, healthcare and logistics workers with flexible contracts are considering quitting. “The catering, health and retail sectors have been hit hard by the coronavirus,” said research coordinator Jalin Heitzma. “We’ve seen this mass exodus come.” 19 percent of respondents cited the lack of a salary increase as the reason for their resignation.

Dutch companies are trying to attract workers and fight the shortage of staff

While companies in the Netherlands are struggling to retain workers and fill vacancies, a recent investigation by Dutch news site WELL found that employers are increasingly willing to raise wages for workers, regardless of the conditions set out in their respective collective agreements.

“They are pressed against the wall, and there is a need to retain employees that companies are unilaterally raising wages,” said Ton Wilthagen, a professor of labor market in Tilburg. “So employers are also trying to stay attractive. I expect more companies to do that [in the future]».