News item | 04-30-2026 | 07:30
Too many status holders are not working. In the first years after someone has been given a status and has to integrate, 75% do not work. Minister Thierry Aartsen (Work and Participation) is fully committed to an approach to allow them to participate in the labor market. As a first step, more than 80 municipalities will provide starting jobs for status holders as soon as possible after settling in a municipality.
Minister Thierry Aartsen (Work and Participation): “When you come to the Netherlands, you go to work and learn the language. That should be the starting point, but that is not the case now. It is really a missed opportunity if we leave talent unused. We really need everyone in the labor market. Everyone can do something and has talents. By working, you as a newcomer can also build an independent life more quickly, learn the language and contribute to our society. It is essential that newcomers get the opportunity and grab it to get to work quickly.”
Only a quarter of status holders to whom the integration obligation applies are now working during integration. A large proportion depend on social assistance benefits. While many newcomers are able and willing to work. The government therefore wants more municipalities to start working on starting jobs for status holders as soon as they come to live in the municipality. Work and integration are then combined. In this way, status holders participate more quickly in our society, learn the language in the workplace and also help to reduce the shortage on the labor market.
Trial
Since 2023, experience has been gained with runways in a number of municipalities, including Rotterdam, Amsterdam and Eindhoven. From one evaluation of this trial shows that 44% of the participants started working. Only a small proportion (10%) dropped out. The trial makes it clear that finding suitable employers is currently still a bottleneck when offering these jobs. One reason for this is that status holders often have limited availability for work due to integration lessons. The extra guidance required due to language delays, cultural differences, caring for the family and the shortage of childcare and after-school care also play a role. In addition, much work, especially in shortage sectors, requires training.
Participants mention motivation, meaning, social contacts and learning the language faster as the most important reasons for working. Extra income is mentioned less often. This is because many status holders can initially only work part-time due to the obligations associated with integration. The financial incentive to work is then not always present. The longer status holders stay in the Netherlands, the more often they expand their part-time jobs.
During the tests, attention was paid to these bottlenecks and a number of effective approaches were implemented. For example, status holders were helped to find a job with extra guidance. In most cases, they first received a short training focused on employee skills and language practice. We also worked with coaches and permanent contact points for employers and status holders.
Follow-up
In the coming period, the government wants to see how it can help more status holders find work. It also looks at how the successful approaches identified in the trial can be applied by as many municipalities as possible. Minister Aartsen will present a new, broad approach to work for newcomers before the summer.
