Healthcare and general care workers, lorry drivers and farmers are the jobs of the future in The Netherlands rather than bankers and insurance brokers, according to new analysis carried out by the University of Maastricht.

The ageing population has created a growing demand for carers and health carers, the only sector where the number of jobs is set to increase.

The lorry driver sector, which is huge in The Netherlands due to the importance of the port of Rotterdam for the entire European Union and beyond, has a disproportionate number of older workers, who will have to be replaced once they retire.

The analysis also shows that the consolidation process in the agricultural sector appears to have come to an end, opening up opportunities for smaller farmers.

Commenting on the currently declining demand for insurance agents, accountants and book keepers, Frank Corvers of Maastricht University, told Volkskrant newspaper "there is no further need [in the Dutch economy] for complicated bank and insurance products."

The analysis highlights that unemployment among school leavers in The Netherlands, whilst still one of the lowest in Europe, has gone up from 6.5% four years ago to 8% now.

To read the full analysis, in Dutch language, please click here