More than 50 percent of temporary workers in the Netherlands are not Dutch

New figures from Statistics Netherlands (CBS) have revealed that internationals fill more than half of the 407.000 temporary jobs in the Netherlands. Most of these workers come from eastern European countries.

Rising number of internationals fill temporary Dutch jobs

Looking at figures from 2024, CBS notes that the temporary employment sector in the Netherlands is becoming more reliant on internationals. 44,4 percent of all jobs in the sector were filled by non-Dutch workers, significantly higher than the 27,2 percent in 2010.

Temporary employment agencies, in particular, hire large numbers of migrant workers. The 2.300 Dutch temporary employment agencies offered 407.000 jobs for temporary workers in 2024 - 52,4 percent of which were filled by internationals. 

"That has everything to do with the tight labour market," chief CBS economist Peter Hein van Mulligen told NOS. With many companies struggling with staff shortages, they often have to consider internationals to fill roles that Dutch workers do not want to do. 

"For example, jobs in agriculture, distribution centres, and industry. Dutch workers are often too highly educated for the available jobs, so employers are forced to look abroad," explains Hein van Mulligen. 

Large number of workers at temp agencies from eastern Europe

86 percent of employment agencies hire workers born abroad. Most of these workers are from Europe (88 percent), moving to the Netherlands primarily from Poland, Romania, Ukraine and Bulgaria.

"Wages in eastern Europe are often lower, making it more attractive for people to come and work here,” says Hein van Mulligen. These migrant workers often haven’t lived in the Netherlands for long either, with more than 67 percent having arrived in the country less than two years before.