Work conditions in the Netherlands

The Active Population in Figures

Working Conditions

Legal Weekly Duration

Depends on the industry, but usually no more than 9.5 hours per day

Retirement Age

67 or over for everyone born after February 1957. In 2028, the statutory retirement age will be raised to 67 years and three months.

Working Contracts

Regulated by legal clauses and to a lesser degree by collective agreements and individual negotiations. The terms of employment contracts cannot be changed, the conditions for hiring and the grounds for dismissal are rather rigid.

Labour Laws

Consult Doing Business Website, to obtain a summary of the labour regulations that apply to local entreprises.

Cost of Labour

Minimum Wage

The statutory gross minimum wage for employees aged 21 and over is EUR 14.71 per hour (EUR 2,303.59 per month) from 1 January 2026, as mandated by the Ministry of Social Affairs and Employment.

Average Wage

According to the Centraal Planbureau (CPB), in 2026, the median gross salary for a person working in the Netherlands is €48.000 gross per year.

Social Contributions

Social Security Contributions Paid By Employers:

The Dutch social security system consists of the National Insurance, the Employee Insurance. In total, the employer's share of national insurance contributions amounts approximately 18.19 or 23.19% of employee's gross wages. The schemes are the following:

• Unemployment Insurance Act: 2.94% or 7.94% (depending on the duration of the contract)
• Disability Act: 8.55% the maximum will be EUR 4,893.24.
• Health Insurance Act: 6.7% maximum EUR 4,200.00.

Social Security Contributions Paid By Employees:

The Dutch social security system consists of the National Insurance, the Employee Insurance. In total, the employee's share of insurance contributions amounts approximately 27.65% of employee's gross wages. The schemes are the following:

• National Survivor Benefits Act: 0.1 percent, maximum EUR 34.71
• General Old Age Pensions Act: 17.9 percent, maximum EUR 6,213.45
• Long-term Care Act: 9.65 percent, maximum EUR 3,349.71
• General Child Benefit Act

Social Partners

Employer Associations

VNO-NCW - Confederation of Netherlands Industry and Employers
VNO-NCW - The Confederation of Netherlands Industry and Employers
MKB - Information Center for SMEs

Social Dialogue and Involvement of Social Partners

The main trade unions are the FNV (Dutch trade union center) and the CNV (Christian trade union center).

Labour Unions

FNV
CNV

Unionisation Rate

28%.

Labour Regulation Bodies

Ministry for Social Affairs & Employment
Confederation of Netherlands Industry and Employers (VNO-NCW)