New measures proposed by the EU Commission aiming to better match highly skilled migrants with jobs in the EU could help solve the labour shortage that the Netherlands is currently experiencing. Part of the package includes a database where employers and jobseekers from outside the EU can be matched up. 

EU proposals aim to stop immigrants from working jobs they are overqualified for

The new rules proposed by the EU Commission also hope to reduce the amount of foreign workers who find themselves in jobs they are overqualified for. According to DutchNews, the commission has asked EU countries to “significantly reduce the gap in the over-qualification rate between third-country nationals and their own nationals by 2030.”

The news site also noted that in the Netherlands, 16 percent of the workforce work in roles for which they are overqualified - the definition of which is when people with university degrees work in roles that do not require such a high level of education. The percentage of overqualified workers rises to 22 percent for EU workers in the Netherlands, and 28 percent for non-EU workers in the Netherlands.

New EU measures come as many Dutch politicians look to curb immigration

The measures proposed by the EU include creating an "EU talent pool", or a database, where non-EU workers can find opportunities in their industry or that align with their qualifications more easily. The platform would also include information on migration rules, details about how to convert foreign qualifications and guidance on living and working conditions in EU countries. 

Though the proposals could help to fill gaps in the Netherlands’ workforce during the ongoing worker shortage, they come at a time when many Dutch politicians are keen to reduce the amount of working migrants, asylum seekers and international students coming to the Netherlands. The two leading parties for the election on November 22, the VVD and NSC, are both keen to slash immigration if their parties are elected.