News item | 11-07-2025 | 15:00
A future -oriented economy and society require a thoughtful management of labor migration. This is possible by, among other things, increasing the price and quality of work, giving less subsidies to companies that depend on low -paid work, and distributing the social costs of labor migration more fairly. This is stated in the Interdepartmental Policy Research (IBO) Labor migration. The report ‘What works for the future’ is an official investigation that was carried out independently of politics by various ministries, the Labor Inspectorate, CPB and SCP.
Minister Van Hijum of Social Affairs and Employment: “I am very happy that the investigation is now there. The Netherlands is addicted to low -paid labor. Getting companies on a large scale on a large scale, who often have to work and live under eagish circumstances. That earnings model is not the future of the Netherlands. The costs for this for this are not only made with these migration and the current report. Gives the political concrete policy options. We are already on our way with our approach and we will look at how we can further strengthen that approach. ”
Population growth
According to the CBS figures, an average of 40,000 labor migrants have come to the Netherlands in recent years than leaving. Since many labor migrants are not included in these figures, for example because they are seconded from another EU country, the actual figure is even higher. To get to a population of 19 to 20 million in 2050, the State Committee on Demography advised a growth of 40,000 to 68,000 migrants per year. This number is therefore achieved alone by the number of labor migrants, while migrants also come to the Netherlands due to asylum, study or their families.
Labor market and industrial policy
In recent years, the number of low -paid jobs has grown three times as fast as the remaining number of jobs. And that while the Dutch are always higher educated. In addition, the Dutch labor market is very flexible compared to other countries. Labor migrants are increasingly doing low -paid work in the Netherlands. Almost half of the EU work migrants have a temporary employment contract. They mainly work in logistics, (glass) horticulture, meat sector and metal industry. Some sectors – such as (glass) horticulture or parts of agriculture – benefit from subsidies that lower production costs and increase demand. Together this promotes the demand for labor migration.
Building blocks
The IBO supplies 5 building blocks with concrete policy options to steer the size, composition and circumstances of labor migration in the Netherlands. The purpose of this is to have fewer people come to the Netherlands and to ensure that the people who are coming mainly work in high -quality jobs. According to the report, the different building blocks are all needed for an effective approach.
Firstly, there must be less demand for low -paid work, by increasing the quality and price of work. Examples include increasing the minimum wage, making temporary employment work less flexible and a temporary employment ban in risk sectors. Labor migration should also be more focused on the large social transitions that the Netherlands stands for. Labor migrants in these types of jobs can temporarily illuminate the labor market shortage and contribute to achieving a high -quality economy.
The report also recommends choosing more consciously in supporting certain sectors. For example, by phasing out tax subsidies for sectors that employ many labor migrants. The social costs of labor migration must also be reduced and fairly shared, by tackling abuses and by improving housing and education for labor migrants and their children. Where possible, employers must contribute to these costs.
And finally, more knowledge and data must be collected on labor migration. For this, the registration of labor migrants who are in the Netherlands must improve. Not every labor migrant is now in the picture. Prognoses of labor migration are also missing.
Follow-up
The Minister of Social Affairs and Employment is going to manage IBO carefully. After the summer, the cabinet also expects the SER for advice on labor migration.