One in 12 Dutch people have more than one job

The number of people in the Netherlands with more than one job almost tripled between 1986 and 2012, the government’s socio-cultural policy think-tank SCP said on Wednesday.

In 1986, just 3% of the population had more than one job but this had risen to 8% in 2012, the SCP said in a new report on the labour market. One-third of the people with multiple jobs works more than 40 hours a week.

‘The Dutch value having lots of spare time while employers have more and more jobs with fewer hours on offer,’ Tilburg University labour economist Ronald Dekker told Radio 1 news.

The report also shows more people are combining work with studying or taking care of sick or elderly relatives. Four in 10 people with a job were also following some sort of training or course in 2012, the SCP figures show.

With more flexible jobs, it is also taking longer for people to find a permanent position, the report shows.  Only 20% of the over-45s who lose their job and find new work are offered a permanent contract. For the under 45s, the figure is 35%.

In addition, whereas in 2002, 80% of people on temporary contracts had a permanent job in between six and 10 years, that has now stretched to 10  to 15 years, the report said.