Politics · Netherlands · 11 hrs ago
UWV says Dutch workers need more training to prepare for job changes
The Dutch benefits agency UWV says workers need more training to prepare for job changes as the labour market shifts.
Nearly three-quarters of people able to work in the Netherlands have a job, yet employers struggle to fill half of vacancies.
Some people are unemployed while related sectors still lack staff, including in technology and technical work, because their skills do not match what employers need.
Artificial intelligence is changing tasks, while older workers retiring will leave further gaps in logistics and transport.
UWV wants employers to focus more on people’s skills than on degrees and job titles, and to offer training for other sectors.
Workers, employers and government should invest more in training, although employers’ group AWVN says such plans have been difficult to put into practice for decades.
The UWV says Dutch workers need more training to adapt as jobs and labour-market needs change.
The agency says employers, workers and the government should invest more in retraining and further education.
Nearly three-quarters of people in the Netherlands who can work are employed, but employers struggle to fill half of all vacancies.
The UWV reports a mismatch between workers’ skills and the jobs employers need to fill, including in ICT and some technical professions.
The employers’ association AWVN says lifelong learning has been discussed for decades, but efforts have not taken hold widely.
- Who
- The UWV, the Dutch agency that administers benefits, is calling for more training. Employers, workers and the government are urged to take part.
- What
- Workers need more training and retraining to prepare for changing jobs and labour-market needs.
- When
- The UWV published its annual labour-market report on November 3, 2026.
- Where
- The Netherlands.
- Why
- The UWV says skills do not always match the jobs available, while technology and an ageing workforce are changing demand for workers.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
The UWV and others have called for more learning and development at work, according to AWVN.
The UWV published its annual labour-market report and renewed its call for more training.
- Employment rate
- Nearly three-quarters of people in the Netherlands who can work are employed.
- Vacancies
- Employers have difficulty finding staff for half of open vacancies.
- ICT
- The UWV says unemployment is increasingly affecting people in ICT, despite shortages in the sector.
- Annual report
- Published by the UWV on November 3, 2026.
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