What You Need to Know About Jobs in Netherlands

The job market in the Netherlands is varied and, depending on where you live, provides employment opportunities for expats.

Netherlands’ jobs range from the agricultural sector, particularly in the flower, vegetable and meat industries, to office based work in international and local organisations.

The Hague has proved particularly attractive to organisations that employ a wide range of nationalities, making the area attractive for expats.

The presence of international companies means that there are jobs available to skilled professionals who do not speak Dutch. However, for the most part, Dutch is an integral skill for the local job market.

The internet and the classifieds in the print media are good starting points to learn about jobs in Holland.

There are also local job agencies (uitzendbureaus) that specialise in a particular industry sector (such as seasonal vacancies in the flower industry), but also those that are dedicated to helping those who do not speak Dutch.

Prior to applying for a post, make sure that you adapt your CV to meet Dutch norms.

Those expats coming from a European Union (EU) country have the right to freely live and work in the Netherlands but other nationalities (including students) will have to adhere to the Netherlands’ visa process and obtain a work permit in order to join the Dutch employment market.

Work permits are job specific and must be applied for by the Dutch employer. In order to fill a vacancy with an expat, a Dutch employer must be able to show that he has made significant efforts to fill the vacancy from the local market, or from within the European Economic Area.

Salaries in the Netherlands are average by EU standards, with earnings between 25,000 and 30,000 euro per year.

Wages are generally paid on a monthly basis or a weekly basis through an employment agency.

There are typically two extra payments per year, one at year-end and one during the summer months; these additional payments come from automatic deductions made from your monthly salary.

Dutch employees work 40 hours per week on average from Monday to Friday, depending on the employment sector. Usual working hours fall in the range of 8am to 6pm with a lunch break in the middle of the day. One day of rest per week is mandatory (usually a Sunday).

It is quite typical in the Netherlands to start work early and leave earlier to spend time with the family if the nature of the work allows this, and the employer agrees. The Dutch take their work life balance very seriously!

There is a minimum legal holiday allowance in the Netherlands of four times the weekly working hours. For a full time employee this amounts to 20 days per year.

In addition there are public holidays that are added to the vacation entitlement of an employee, including Christmas, Easter and Queen’s Day which is an annual national holiday. Every five years Liberation Day is also marked.