NL Times reports that in 2022 there were 1.6 million new job vacancies in the Netherlands, the highest number since Statistics Netherlands (CBS) started tracking this figure in 1997. “Demand for new employees was particularly high in business economics and administrative professions,” CBS stated. At 1.6 million, there were 143,000 more new vacancies in 2022 than in 2021. Many of the vacancies were filled or withdrawn. By the end of 2022, the Netherlands had 437,000 open vacancies, compared to 392,000 at the end of 2021.

The increase in vacancies was visible in all occupational groups. The highest demand for new people was in business economics and administrative professions. Last year, there were 291,000 vacancies for these professions, 51,000 more than a year earlier. The number of new vacancies also increased sharply in trade and the service professions, especially in the hospitality industry. The Netherlands labour market has been tight for some time, with more vacancies than unemployed people to fill them, the CBS noted. In May, unemployment in the country increased slightly to 3.5% of the workforce.