Monday 25 October 2021

Fewer men under the age of 45 are working, as employment patterns shift

Fewer men under the age of 45 are working, as employment patterns shift

Fewer men under the age of 44 are currently working when compared to employment levels before the 2008 financial crisis, according to research by the government’s macro-economic policy unit CPB. Men under the age of 25 are spending longer periods at college and university, while the under-45s were mainly hit by changes in employment patterns affecting construction, manufacturing and business services, the CPB said. ‘A number were forced to switch sectors but there are young men living on benefits,’ researcher... More >

Central bank calls for cut in sick pay

Central bank calls for cut in sick pay

The Dutch central bank is recommending the next government reduce some of regulations covering people on permanent contracts, in order to encourage more firms to take staff off temporary contracts. In particular, the bank has suggested cutting the two-year statutory sick pay requirement, which its says, is a major obstacle to smaller firms in particular. By cutting this back to one year, it would be more attractive for companies to take on permanent staff, the bank said on Monday. The... More >

Teaching hospital staff strike for pay

Teaching hospital staff strike for pay

All but essential operations have been cancelled at seven of the Netherlands’ eight academic hospitals on Tuesday as medical staff go on strike and the hospitals operate a Sunday shift. The action, said by the FNV trade union to be the biggest ever at a teaching hospital, is for higher pay and more measures to reduce the pressure at work. FNV spokeswoman Elise Merlijn said that hospital staff realised that the strike will have a major effect because non-essential treatment... More >

Seasonal workers out in the cold

Seasonal workers out in the cold

Dutch local authorities are failing to provide enough suitable accommodation for seasonal workers, and opposition from locals is often the reason why, current affairs show Nieuwsuur reported on Sunday evening. The show’s researchers questioned officials in 40 local authority areas which have a large number of seasonal workers and found many had not reached official housing targets. In Westland, where much of the country’s greenhouse horticulture is located, 16,000 mainly eastern Europeans are employed picking crops. But the local council... More >

70% of Dutch working population has a job

70% of Dutch working population has a job

Almost 70% of 15 to 75-year-olds in the Netherlands had some form of paid work in August, a new record, the national statistics agency CBS said on Thursday. Over the past three months, an average of 33,000 more people have found work, taking the total to 9.1 million, the CBS said. The number of people claiming unemployment benefits has been falling for seven months and is now lower than at the end of February, before the start of the coronavirus... More >

Spending power rose in 2020

Spending power rose in 2020

Despite coronavirus, spending power actually rose by 2.2% last year, the biggest increase since 2016, national statistics agency CBS said on Wednesday. Pay rises boosted the spending power of people in work by an average of 4.3%, the CBS said. The average nationally-agreed pay rise in 2020 was 2.9%. Government policy also contributed to the increase in spending power, in the form of shifts in income tax and other tax and premium changes. Inflation averaged 1.3% last year. More >

77,000 sacked after new rules on temps

77,000 sacked after new rules on temps

At least 77,000 people on flexible work contracts have lost their jobs since parliament backed new legislation aimed at reducing reliance on temporary contracts in May 2019, according to ABN Amro research. Some were replaced by freelancers, and women, youngsters and the low-skilled have been hardest hit, the research shows. Legislation known as the Labour Market in Balance law (WAB) came into effect in January 2020 and was supposed to make it more attractive for employers to take on permanent... More >

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