The number of new vacancies has increased sharply in 2021, according to figures from Statistics Netherlands on the labor market on Wednesday. This increase was visible in all professional groups, but especially in the catering industry there was more demand for staff last year.
During the corona crisis, the labor market was hit hard, as a result of which the number of new vacancies fell in 2020 in all occupational classes. Last year, the economy bounced back. The number of new vacancies increased by 400,000 to 1.4 million, the largest number since Statistics Netherlands started this measurement.
There was a lot of demand for staff, especially in the hospitality industry. Not only did the demand for cooks, bar staff and kitchen helpers grow; there was also more demand for administrative professions at hotels, bars and restaurants. Hospitality companies had 15,600 vacancies for such professions last year. That is 9,100 more than the year before.
Retail companies also looked for staff more often in 2021. With 73,100 vacancies, there was a particular need for commercial employees. That number is a lot higher than a year earlier, when there were 60,200 vacancies.