Category: News

NL economy growing faster than other countries

The Dutch economy will grow more than half as fast this year as previously thought. As a result, we have already fully recovered from the blow of the corona crisis in the third quarter, Rabobank economists think. Not 2.3 percent growth this year, but 3.8 percent. And next year not 3.5 percent growth, but 3.7 percent. That is what Rabobank's economists now assume in the Economic Quarterly Report. This means that we can leave the corona crisis behind us faster than other countries. Earlier, Rabobank thought that we would not be back to pre-corona crisis levels until the fourth quarter, but so it will be three months earlier.

Relaxations

For the additional optimism of the Rabobank economists are several reasons. For one, the government has made some far-reaching relaxations ahead of schedule. The hospitality industry, for example, is allowed to open longer and we can also sit inside cafes and restaurants again. Furthermore, we can go back into stores as usual. Another windfall is that vaccines also seem to work against mutations of the coronavirus.

Back to normal in fourth quarter

While uncertainty remains, Rabobank nevertheless believes that all lockdown measures will be scaled down in the third quarter and there will be no more restrictions in the fourth quarter. By 2022, the economy return to the rate of growth before corona broke out, economists said.

Better than Germany, France, Italy

The Netherlands compares favorably with other countries, the bank expects. The German economy will have fully recovered from corona by the end of this year, France not until the middle of next year, and for Spain, Italy and the UK it will be another year later.

More positive than CPB and DNB

Rabobank's expectations compare favorably with those of the CPB (Central Planning Bureau) and others. In its March estimate, the CPB was still counting on growth of 2.2 percent in 2021 and 3.5 percent in 2022. The European Commission in February expected growth in 2021 of 1.8 percent and of 3 percent in 2022. The Nederlandsche Bank (DNB) in April assumed growth of 2.2 percent this year and 4.2 percent next year.

End of zero hours contract and increase in minimum wage

Trade unions and employers agreed on June 1 on labor market reform. In a new opinion of the Social and Economic Council (SER), they argue, among other things, for the abolition of zero-hours contracts and should work via a temporary contract for a maximum of only three years. The legal minimum wage should also be increased while maintaining the link to benefits.

According to the social partners, the interventions are necessary because of increasing inequality and social discontent in the Netherlands. In the SER opinion, they therefore urge to the fact that a new administration is going to invest heavily in some they call "broad prosperity. That means job and income security, future earning power, strong public services and a sustainable living environment.

If it is up to unions and employers, there will be soon to be three types of workers, people on permanent contracts, temporary workers and self-employed workers. Zero hour contracts and constructions such as payrolling disappear altogether. Temporary work will be limited to replacing sick employees and during busy periods when additional staff is needed. Moreover, it will be limited to a maximum of three years. After that, a person must be given a permanent contract. Now that term is 5.5 years. Under the current system, a temporary worker may be fired overnight within 1.5 years. That term will be shortened to 12 months.

'Prosperous and happy'

The SER says that on average, the Netherlands is a prosperous and happy country, but that there are tensions in society due to increasing inequality of opportunity and many people experience less grip on their future and living environment. According to the SER, the Netherlands needs to recover from the corona crisis, which has also highlighted both the importance and vulnerability of vital sectors. At the same time, the Netherlands is on the eve of a number of major changes such as the energy transition, the introduction of new technologies, digitalization and an aging population. "These fundamental changes will demand a lot from our ability to adapt," the SER said.

Ingrid Thijssen and Jacco Vonhof, chairmen of employers' organizations VNO-NCW and MKB Nederland, had recently indicated that they wanted to reach an agreement on the labor market. Actually, the SER, in which employers and employees are represented, was supposed to discuss this at the end of last year with a opinion to come. However, the SER's response was postponed due to corona, and the now outgoing cabinet was also put off by the epidemic no longer to.

The polder consultation was prompted by the report of the Brestlap Commission, which contained a large number of recommendations to straighten out the skewed labor market, including more security for flex workers. The new cabinet must ultimately make decisions about the position of employees and the self-employed.

The SER further recommends improving education and, for example, child care and believes that greater investment is needed in knowledge and innovation, digitization and new technologies, infrastructure and sustainability. According to the council, investments are also necessary for a well-functioning and accessible public sector. Also, government support remains necessary to restore the economy, while this recovery is still fragile. In doing so, care is needed in the winding down support measures. Tax increases and cuts are unwise, and good timing and customization are crucial, according to the SER.

Crisis promotes diversity boards

Both the number of women and professionals with a non-Dutch background are increasing at the top of the corporate world. This is due to internationalization, quotas and the corona crisis. According to Van der Groen, women are increasingly on the candidate shortlist for executive positions, but the number is not growing explosively. Van der Groen: "Ultimately, about 15 percent of the executive vacancies I mediate are now filled by a woman."

The picture of meager progress with diversity also emerges from the Top Women 2020 Corporate Monitor, released in January 2021. The average share of women on the boards of large companies rose from 7.4 percent in 2013 to 12.4 percent in 2020. On supervisory boards, the average share of women rose slightly faster over the same period: from 9.8 to 20.4 percent. Nevertheless, seven years after the introduction of the statutory target, two-thirds of large companies still had no women at all on the BOD and two-fifths had no women at all on the SB.

Work-life balance

One of the main reasons why women do not move on often enough to top jobs is because they are more likely to work part-time and work less overtime. Consequently, the public sector, where there is a better work-life balance and more flexibility, leads the way when it comes to women at the top. According to Van der Groen, this very flexibility is now seeping into the corporate sector because of the corona crisis. "In the public sector, flexible working used to be more readily accepted than, say, at an Anglo-Saxon multinational. But because of corona, everyone now organizes their time more by themselves. Because we work from home, or by necessity because we have to teach the children during the day." Van der Groen does not expect this trend to change after the pandemic. He is already seeing business becoming more flexible when it comes to arranging one's own time and working from home, making the demands of the private sector more compatible with the needs of women in executive positions.   

Does this model, combined with a quota, soon for more women at the top of industry, then it will also be easier to put together a more diverse boardroom in the future. Van der Groen: "In senior positions, it is important to already know the industry. Because the percentage of top women in the public sector and the healthcare industry has been high for years, it is easier to appoint someone there at the executive level who comes over from another organization, for example. In the future, the more women hold top positions in business, the easier it will be to have executive vacancies filled by women."

Internationalization and globalization

Further internationalization and globalization offer opportunities For top people with a non-Dutch background. Van der Groen saw this happening in his own working area with the rise of "Brainport Eindhoven. "When I started as a headhunter in Eindhoven in 2006, there was a very regional labor market. Now there is a large cluster of top technological companies that work quickly and internationally. That gives you more exposure to the global market and attracts a larger group of executives with an international background."

The increase in the number of international students in Dutch higher education according to Van der Groen, also provides a (future) growth in the number of executives from more diverse backgrounds. In 2018-2019, the last entire academic year before the corona crisis, 85,955 foreign students from 170 countries completed full studies in the Netherlands, 11.5 percent of the total number of students enrolled. A year earlier, the figure was 10.5 percent.

Some of these students continue to live and work in the Netherlands even after their studies. According to Van der Groen are that professionals with a lot of drive, entrepreneurship and ambition. Consequently, he sees the number of international candidates for executive positions increasingly increased. Meanwhile, often half of his shortlist has a non-Dutch background. And companies like to see this group coming.

Van der Groen: "A lot of companies, large, medium-sized or SMEs, today have customers and suppliers from all over the world. Then you must also have diverse cultures within your organization. If there are only Dutch people in your company and you do a lot of business with China, for example, I don't think you will ever achieve optimal business results."

Source: Financieelmanagement.co.uk

7 labor market trends in 2021

The events of last year have a great impact on this year's job market. COVID-19, or corona, has very much impacted everyday life, the economy and the job market. But what else awaits us in the coming months? The labor market trends below show what you can prepare for right now

#1. COVID-19

Last January, some might have heard about it, but no one could have predicted what was in store for us. From economic prosperity, the Netherlands went from corona crisis to sharp contraction in an unprecedentedly short time.

Last year, the Dutch economy grew by 4.3 percent shrunk. Economic growth of 3 percent is then projected again for 2021, but it is slow in coming and heavily dependent on easing measures.

#2. Many (youth) unemployed

The coronacrisis is creating uncertainty in a lot of industries. Even though there are industries that are performing better than ever, many companies are having to reorganize or close their doors (temporarily). Because of these developments, unemployment is rising sharply.

The largest increase in unemployment is among young people. Temporary contracts and working as temps or on-call workers are usually the first to lose their jobs in difficult times. They also work a lot in the sectors hit hard by the measures, think of the hospitality industry.

#3. Generation changes

A development that provides shift in the labor market is the changing of generations. In the next 8 years, 1.9 million baby boomers will leave the labor force and only 1.6 million new workers will enter the market. This will create major demographic changes in the workplace and increase Of vacancies and labor market space.

Disadvantage is that the increase in retirees puts a significant strain on the economy. In addition, many baby boomers are retiring in engineering, healthcare and education. Vacancies in these sectors are already difficult to fill and this is only likely to increase.

#4. Recruitment and retraining

If the first three trends are summarized, 2021 consists of a economy with much uncertainty and measures with considerable impact for many sectors. Demand for workers is dropping in some sectors, while demand is increasing in others. A labor market is emerging with, on the one hand increasingly unemployed, but on the other hand an increase in tightness in other sectors.

Employers in 2021 will have to start taking into account that job seekers' work experience and education will be less well matched to open positions. One development within recruitment is that there will be more focus on soft skills.

The trend that is capitalizing on this hybrid labor market and is becoming more prevalent is retraining. Training and retraining is becoming extra important and job postings will more often include training and training budgets.

#5. Video application and onboarding

Another consequence from corona on the job market is the changing interview process. How does recruiting work in a society where it is recommended that personal contacts be kept to a minimum?

A trend that is likely to continue for some time is that many employers and recruiters are switching to video calls for health and safety reasons. In this times, video interviewing is not only a convenient alternative to a face-to-face job interview, it is the new standard. This requires flexibility from both the employer and the job seeker. Should you be looking for a new challenge, it is crucial to be aware of how this all works.

#6. Growth work platforms

Enough about the effects of corona. One development that is becoming increasingly important and will continue its march into 2021 is the growth of work platforms. Platforms such as FlexHero, Freelance and Temper where assignments come directly to potential performers. This way of doing business is growing rapidly in popularity.

Digital platforms accelerate this by cleverly matching supply and demand. In the United States, this is known as the gig economy or, in Dutch, platform economy. This trend will continue to grow strongly this year.

#7. Technological developments

The digital world never sits still, and this year will see continued development.

Google for Jobs

It finally came to the Netherlands in 2020, and it will become an increasing part of the job landscape in 2021. 73 percent of job seekers start their search for a new job on Google and Google for Jobs is going to be a leader in this. The technology and capabilities will certainly be optimized in 2021.

Apply via WhatsApp

With over 12 million users, Whatsapp is clearly the list leader of social media in the Netherlands. Not surprising also that more and more employers and recruiters give candidates the opportunity to apply through the means.

Video in recruitment

The use of videos in recruitment continues to increase. Channels such as TikTok, Instagram Reels or LinkedIn Stories, are capitalizing on the popularity of videos. Whether it is for the recruitment of new people or for Employer Branding, increasingly video is being used.

Artificial Intelligence

Artificial Intelligence is a concept where computers perform tasks that normally require human intelligence. Nowadays, Artificial Intelligence is also increasingly used to speed up the recruitment process. This growth will continue in 2021.

Source: wetalent.com

'Corona jobs' help broadcasters through crisis

Many business service providers have now found their rhythm in the new reality. Temporary workers and security guards are deployed in abundance at testing and puncture sites and cleaners in hospitals. As a result, the drop in demand is less severe than in 2020 but still significant. It is only in the second half of the year that the entire sector benefits from the pick-up in economy.

Staffing industry gets off to a flying start

The staffing industry got off to a flying start in the first month of this year. Despite the lockdown, the number of temp hours increased compared to the same period last year. Administrative temp jobs in particular grew explosively. This growth is somewhat distorted by the fact that last January the Law Labor Market in Balance (WAB) took effect, causing a sharp drop in the number of staffing hours that month. That said, this growth is confirmation that the staffing market is recovering. This recovery was sustained in the fourth quarter of started last year and is continuing vigorously. The increase is all the more striking given that the Netherlands is currently in the midst of its second lockdown and there was no trouble during this period last year. This growth is in stark contrast to how the staffing industry felt the lockdown last year.

Shift of work

That the number of temp hours recovered in recent months has several reasons. First, there has been a shift in the type of temp jobs. Despite the lockdown, there is plenty of work, but not in all traditional staffing sectors. By placing temporary workers in places where demand has increased, such as call centers, puncture sites, test lines and distribution centers, the industry has now picked up. Also, the industry, well for nearly a quarter of the temp jobs, full order books. Also, the demand for temporary medical personnel has increased sharply. The second explanation for this growth is that the staffing industry currently benefiting from wider labor market. In January from last year was this very different. The labor market was extremely tight then, making it difficult to find temporary staff. For this reason, the number of agency hours was already before the outbreak of the corona crisis declining.

Favorable outlook

The outlook for broadcasters are positive for the second half of the year, when the coronagraph restrictions are largely phased out. Temporary jobs will then shift again to more traditional staffing sectors. The industry also then benefits from the macroeconomic outlook. With high unemployment, wider labor market and economic growth above 2 percent, this is a good starting situation for broadcasters. In the uncertain aftermath of the corona crisis prefer workers mostly flexible labor over permanent. This leads to a growth forecast of 6 percent. While this is substantial growth, it does not mean that the industry has yet returned to the level from before the corona crisis.

Challenges

Although the industry is benefiting from economic growth, there are structural challenges. For example, automation is decreasing the number of jobs for which low-skill skills are sufficient. These are the jobs where the staffing industry has traditionally focused heavily on. Also, within the flexible shell, the share of temporary workers is decreasing in favor of temporary employment contracts and self-employed workers. In the process, online platforms are increasingly competing with the staffing industry. Last year, the Borstlap Committee made recommendations that should lead to greater protection of flexible employment relationships. There is also a desire to reduce the difference between permanent and flexible labor. Specifically for temporary workers, it is recommended that the temporary employment clause be substantially shortened. This will prevent the use of temporary workers on a structural basis. It is still uncertain which recommendation the new cabinet will adopt. But that the flex industry will have to deal with new rules of play seems inevitable.

Uncertainty grips flex industry

The flex industry has been hit hard by the corona crisis, but can also recover quickly once the economy rebounds. In 2021, the sector is showing a strong recovery after the sharp decline in volume in 2020, with volume increasing by about 10% in 2021. Indeed, during previous crises, it has been found that many companies prefer to hire flexible staff first in the event of growth rather than hiring permanent staff immediately.

Strong contraction of temp hours in second quarter

The volume decline in the flex industry started at the end of 2019. Initially, the number of temp hours declined due to the tightness in the labor market, making it more difficult to find suitable staff. In the second quarter of 2020, compared with the same period a year earlier, the number of temp hours declined by 22% due to the lockdown introduced in March. In the third and fourth quarters of 2020, although the contraction is expected to be smaller, it is still substantial.

Number of flex workers drops by 200,000

The number of workers in flexible employment, including temporary and on-call workers, declined sharply in 2020. In the third quarter, there were 1.7 million employees with a flexible contract, 200,000 fewer compared to the end of 2019. Incidentally, the decline is not only due to the corona crisis, but also partly due to the tight labor market at the end of 2019, which resulted in more people getting permanent contracts.

Flex workers are the first to be laid off

As the corona crisis also shows, it is the flexible workforce in particular that in times of economic crisis first to take the hit. From earlier research already showed that temporary workers, alongside self-employed workers, are the main cushion for absorbing economic shocks. Moreover, relatively many temporary workers are employed in sectors that were hit hard by the corona crisis, such as hospitality, aviation and non-food retailing

Labor market less strained

While the industry was still struggling with a tight labor market in 2019 and early 2020, during 2020 the tension is due to the corona crisis in rapid pace decreased. For example, at 1.1 unemployed per open job, there were almost as many job openings as unemployed at the end of 2019. This made the difficult for staffing organizations to find enough suitable temporary workers to find. Meanwhile, the choice is considerably wider with nearly 2 unemployed people per open job opening in the third quarter. With unemployment on the rise, the tension in the labor market will continue to ease in 2021.

Lower revenue drop thanks to higher rates

Like volume, sales in the staffing industry in 2020, albeit less strongly. This is because higher rates were charged, due to Of the introduction of the Labor Market Act in Balance (WAB) effective Jan. 1, 2020. The law is designed to make a fixed contract less fixed and a flexible contract less flexible. The law made all flexible labor more expensive. For example, the cost increased for a temporary worker on average by 5%. Payrolling was also more expensive for companies and thus less attractive. Under the WAB, a payroller is entitled to the same terms and conditions of employment as a employee who is directly employed by the company. Several payroll companies have therefore switched to a temp model.

Flexibility has its price

The flexible shell of personnel is in corona time for many companies has been the salvation. The need for a flexible shell remains in the future as well, according to From the business survey of the CBS. One in seven companies say they want to build a more flexible workforce because of the corona crisis. This makes companies more agile by allowing them to scale up and down in personnel more quickly when needed, thereby increasing companies' chances of survival. The only question is whether, and to what extent, companies are willing to pay a higher price for more flexibility.

Dark clouds over the flex industry....

In addition to the corona crisis and the WAB the industry has its hands full with a number of other challenges. For example, the revenue model is under pressure from competition from self-employed workers and online platforms, there are abuses in the housing of migrant workers and excessive flexibility.

...but also certainly opportunities

On the other hand, there are also plenty of opportunities for the flex industry. As mentioned earlier, the need for a flexible shell will continue to exist in the future. Furthermore, the coronavirus is causing certain work to change or even disappear altogether, making retraining and job-to-job coaching for flex workers increasingly important for temporary employment agencies, for example.

New labor market regulations

There may be new, and more stringent, regulations during 2021 to better protect flex workers and create a more level playing field in the labor market. This is expected to be based in part on the recommendations made by the Borstlap committee in early 2020. The recommendations are not all equally positive for the flex industry. For example, it is proposed to capping the agency clause at 26 weeks instead of the current 78 weeks. This is to use temporary work only for sick & peak and no longer for work on a structural basis. 

Uncertainty grips industry

In short, the flex industry is entering an uncertain time. Although the industry is expected to show a strong recovery in 2021, because of all the developments and associated uncertainties, by the end of 2021 the flex industry will not yet be back to the pre-corona level of the end of 2019.

This article was published on ing.co.uk

Staffing industry recovers remarkably fast

Temporary workers are the first to be kicked to the curb in reorganizations, it emerged in March. But by the nature of the corona crisis, they also find jobs again quickly.

Many temporary workers who became unemployed at the beginning of the crisis found jobs again in the past three months. Industry association ABU observes that. "The number of hours worked by temporary workers is increasing. We can even cautiously speak of a V-curve," says director Jurriën Koops. According to labor experts temporary workers normally a good measure of the job market, as they are the first to be hired again when the economy improves.

That the staffing industry also shows the latest quarterly figures from Randstad, our country's largest employment agency. "Of the 18,000 temporary workers who became unemployed in the Netherlands because of corona, more than 14,000 are already back at work," said top executive Jacques van den Broek proudly.

According to Van den Broek, this has everything to do with the nature of the corona crisis. Other than during previous crisis, there are now quite a few sectors that are still doing well or even very well. He mentions healthcare, technology, ICT, retail and food. And then there is also the peak in logistics to the end of this year around the holidays. There is work there, and that presents opportunities, the top executive says.

Fast switching

"Fishing where the fish are," he calls it. That the staffing industry is in the midst of a crisis seems to be recovering does surprise labor market experts. Normally, the staffing industry does not recover until there are signs that the entire economy improving. Although Rob Witjes, head of labor market information at benefits agency UWV can still explain it somewhat. "Temporary employment agencies are flexible and can therefore switch quickly to sectors where work is mainly of a temporary nature, which is very useful to them now."

He expects there to be still some work at will come. "Temporary workers can be used to temporarily take over duties of people who need to be quarantined or waiting at home for their coronas test results."

That the staffing industry is recovering so quickly is a break in the trend when you look at the course of a classic economic crisis, such as the credit crunch in 2009 and the euro crisis in 2011, says Ton Wilthagen, professor of labor market. "Back then, developments in the staffing industry a good indicator of developments in the rest of the labor market. If things went well in the staffing industry, the rest of the labor market naturally followed. Now that is different because the crisis was created by acute government intervention in certain sectors," the professor said.

Jobs for the longer term

The recovery of the staffing industry does not immediately mean that the entire labor market will soon be in better shape, says Rob Witjes. "This time it doesn't look like the temp work that is available now is going to lead to jobs for the longer term. These are now mainly temporary jobs, for example, the source and contact investigators - once there is a vaccine - will disappear." Furthermore, Witjes fears that if the corona measures are prolonged or tightened further, more sectors will be in trouble, and that in turn will affect the temporary employment sector.

Wilthagen: "Developments in other countries will also play a role in this. For example, the technical industry is doing well now but if they can no longer import or export parts because other countries are back in lockdown go, that in turn affects employment."

Randstad also remains cautious in its forecasts for next quarter. "The sectors such as hospitality, catering and aviation that were hit during the first wave will continue to be hit," Van den Broek said. He is, however, positive about the chances of helping people who worked around Schiphol, for example, find other work. "I think we can get 70 percent to 80 percent of employees can help."

Source: Wed Oct 21, 2020

The changing role of the back office professional

From the Salary Professionals 2020 Trend Survey, which NIRPA conducts annually among salary professionals, revealed an important continuing trend: that of the growing advisory role for salary and back office professionals. An increasing number of payroll professionals also have to deal with the payroll processing of flexible labor and experience a high workload due to the complex laws and regulations surrounding flexible labor relations.

Specific laws and regulations regarding flex have become so complex that this really requires additional knowledge regarding flexible employment contracts. The trend survey shows that 38% of the respondents expect to need additional training on compensation related to flexible employment contracts.

"We are all curious to see what 'the world' is going to look like post-corona, but in addition to that there are the necessary changes to be expected in the coming period arising from, for example, the opinions of the booster team on migrant worker protection, and the Borstlap committee," says Barbara Kramer, manager of the Examens Uitzendbranche foundation (SEU). "As a result of the introduction of the WAB, 'regular' companies are taking a critical look at how their flexible shell is filled, but staffing organizations are also actively looking at what options are available within the staffing collective bargaining agreement to agency workers more perspective."

'Continued development is an investment in yourself and your own future'

Marcel van der Sluis, director of the Nederlands Instituut Register Payroll Accounting (NIRPA): "The advisory role of payroll professionals is increasing, a trend that has been ongoing for years. Not only to the customer, but they are also increasingly called upon within the organization. A lot of information comes together in payroll processing. There is a lot of knowledge among these professionals, which can be called upon more from financial management and HR.Die more advisory consulting role of payroll and back office professionals also requires developing competencies such as communication and consulting skills."

Marcel: "Payroll and back office professionals need to be aware from the importance of investing in their own development and future prospects. Every course or training you do is really an investment in your own future. In doing so, you create opportunities and possibilities to grow within the field. Developments in payroll processing follow one another in rapid pace up, driven by laws, regulations and the software.

Always be able to demonstrate ready professional knowledge at your current and possibly future employer. An education and diploma from a recognized institute is always a valuable addition - both for yourself and for your CV."

Less attractive healthcare creates vacancy pressure

The number of unique (online) job openings in healthcare, after a dip in the second quarter of 2020 (-8%), is back to pre-coronagraph levels. Compared to 2019, the vacancy pressure among healthcare professionals has continued to increase, with each active job seeker having a choice of as many as five vacancies. Last year, this ratio was 4:1.

Care less attractive

The percentage of "non-healthcare professionals" who find healthcare an attractive sector to work in dropped by one-fifth between the first and second quarters of 2020. Consequently, vacancy pressures continued to increase over the past year but the attractiveness of the healthcare industry declined sharply, in part due to the corona crisis.

A similar trend is seen among healthcare professionals. For 30% of them in 2018 was the 'not renewing an expiring contract' was the main reason for changing jobs. In 2019, "dissatisfaction" (35%) and "need for a new challenge" (20%) were the main reasons. "Healthcare has been under a magnifying glass over the past year. In the beginning, the focus was on "our heroes in healthcare," job security and vital professions. Then the heavy workload, understaffing and salary and remuneration perils were highlighted in the House of Representatives," Roders said. "During the first wave, loyalty was high and mobility was low, but the partial failure of structural appreciation and increasing workload makes loyalty decrease and mobility become higher, as evidenced also by the number of vacancies."

Much dissatisfaction

Because of the current shortage, the focus is often on recruiting, but bonding is just as important. Salary and other forms of appreciation are crucial here. There is a lot of dissatisfaction among healthcare professionals in this area, which could explain for the sharp increase in the number of self-employed workers." After a sharp increase in 2019 (+11%), the number of zzp'ers in healthcare has also increased sharply last year (+18%). More than ten percent of all Dutch healthcare professionals are now self-employed.

Healthcare professionals invisible online

Only 7% of all healthcare professionals is at this currently actively looking for a job, compared to 12% of the Dutch labor force. Nearly two-thirds of healthcare professionals say they have not been approached in the past year despite high vacancy pressures for a new job and that is remarkable. The healthcare sector faces a very strained labor market and should be actively seeking to talent but that is not to hardly the case. An important explanation for this seems to be the limited online presence of healthcare professionals. For example, only 16% of them can be found online by intermediaries and/or employers, and only a quarter of healthcare professionals use LinkedIn when looking for a new job. Among the Dutch workforce, these percentages are 19 and 31%.

Female self-employed more likely to be economically independent

Between 2011 and 2019, self-employed people became increasingly economically independent. And while male self-employed workers are more likely to earn the subsistence minimum than women, female entrepreneurs are working hard to narrow that gap.

Figures from the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS) show that just over 80 percent of male self-employed workers are economically independent. That percentage has barely increased over the past decade. Female self-employed workers may earn the subsistence minimum less often, but they are catching up considerably.

In 2011, about half of all self-employed women were economically self-employed. That's what you are if your net income is 70 percent or more than the legal minimum wage. In 2019, the limit was for economic independence 990 euros per month. Meanwhile, 61% of female ZZP érs are economically independent, but compared to 2011, the growth was with them the strongest. During this period, the difference between men and women of 32 to 24 percentage points among the self-employed. Thus, the fact that the number of economically self-employed is rising is mainly because of them.

Stronger growth among women

CBS presented figures on November 3 on economic self-sufficiency of employees, self-employed and self-employed with staff (zmp'ers). This showed that women in all groups were less likely to be economically independent, but that the group earning a subsistence minimum was growing substantially. Among zmp'ers and employees, growth among men was also weaker than among women.

Men are (still) more likely to work full-time

Among the self-employed, the differences still the largest. The Organization for Cooperation and Development among Rich Industrialized Countries, the OECD, put the median earnings of self-employed entrepreneurs and employees side by side. It showed that male self-employed workers in the Netherlands still earn, on average, 33 percent earned more than women. That women are less likely to earn an income at the minimum welfare level is mainly because men tend to work full-time and women part-time, according to CBS.

Differences by sector

Independent professionals in financial services are most often economically self-employed. Zzp'ers in the "culture, sports and recreation" and "other services" sectors are the least.

The male-female differences are relatively small in hospitality, transportation and warehousing, and agriculture and forestry. At 28 percentage points in 2019, the gap was largest in other services. That category includes, for example, hairdressers and beauticians, occupations with relatively low incomes.

Also in health and welfare, men earn more often the subsistence level than women. According to CBS, this is because men are more often a private have medical practice (medical specialists, dentists and general practitioners).