1 in 6 people in the Netherlands find work stressful, study shows
By Simone Jacobs
Almost one in six workers in the Netherlands has a stressful job, according to research. The most stressful professions are found in healthcare, education and hospitality.
Workers in healthcare and education experience most stress
In a survey of working conditions, conducted by Statistics Netherlands (CBS) and research agency TNO, 16 percent of employees stated they had a stressful job. These workers often have to follow strict protocols and complete demanding tasks.
The most stressful jobs were found in healthcare, education and hospitality. Pharmacy assistants topped the list, with 51 percent of these workers feeling stressed, followed by primary school teachers and medical practice assistants (both 39 percent).
Other professions considered among the top 10 most stressful include doctors, high school teachers, waiters and bar staff, nurses, bakers and chefs. In the last five years, the number of stressed workers dropped from 18 percent to 16 percent, with the job types staying almost identical.
The majority of the most stressful roles also happen to be in the same sectors that are experiencing severe worker shortages. With teacher shortages worsening and staff shortages in healthcare growing, it is no surprise that professions in these sectors are among the most stressful.
Stressed workers expect jobs to get harder
According to CBS, workers with stressful roles are more likely to be pessimistic about the future of their jobs than those in less stressful environments. Indeed, they expect their work to become more demanding, more difficult and less enjoyable in the next five years.
Staff with demanding jobs are also twice as likely to believe that employers need to do more to prevent work pressure and stress, with one in five saying that no anti-stress measures are taken at all. Stressed workers are also more likely to take sick leave, and are often absent for longer - 60 percent of those with stressful jobs reported being absent in 2024, compared to 52 percent of other workers.
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Editor for the Netherlands at IamExpat Media. Simone studied Genetics and Zoology at the University of Pretoria in South Africa before moving to the Netherlands, where she has been working as a writer and editor since 2022. One thing she loves more than creating content is consuming it, mainly by reading books by the dozen. Other than being a book dragon, she is also a nature lover and enjoys hiking and animal training. Read more