International staff, fully taken care of

The Netherlands has had historically low unemployment and a large labour shortage for years, especially in logistics, agriculture and horticulture, production, construction and care. There are simply not enough Dutch workers available to fill all vacancies. Companies that limit themselves to the Dutch labour market face a structural shortage, resulting in lost production, missed revenue and delayed growth.

Many sectors are seasonal or see strong peaks in demand (think of the harvest, e-commerce around the holidays, or temporary projects). International workers offer the flexibility to scale up quickly when needed, without companies having to hire permanent Dutch staff for work that only exists part of the year. That keeps companies agile and avoids unnecessary costs.

Companies that cannot solve their staff shortage lose ground to international competitors. International workers enable Dutch companies to accept orders, maintain production capacity and stay internationally competitive. Without enough staff, growth stalls, with negative effects on the whole chain, from suppliers to local economies.

International workers often bring specific skills, experience and a strong work ethic that strengthen the existing team. Diverse teams also bring new perspectives and approaches, which benefits innovation and problem solving.

The Netherlands is ageing, and the working population will shrink over time. Labour migration is one of the ways to close that gap and keep essential sectors, such as care, engineering and agrifood, running, especially now that younger generations are smaller in number and have higher expectations of their jobs.

Labour migration is not a one-way street: workers from other countries get opportunities for work, income and development that are often more limited at home, while Dutch companies and society benefit from their efforts. When this is well arranged, with decent housing, guidance and working conditions, everyone involved benefits.