The Dutch vacancy market remains active, but is becoming more selective and increasingly dependent on sector and specialization. Majoop data shows that Industry & Skilled Trades and Operations & Supply Chain account for the highest vacancy volumes, while Technology & ICT offers the highest salaries.
The labor market at a glance
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Active Dutch vacancies | 216,419 |
| New vacancies in the past 30 days | 154,512 |
| New vacancies in the past 7 days | 44,101 |
| Average vacancy duration | 14 days |
| Median vacancy duration | 9 days |
| Vacancies expired in the past 6 months | 69,763 |
The first quarter of 2026 shows a dynamic Dutch vacancy market. The market remains active and competitive, but conditions differ significantly by sector.
Industry & Skilled Trades is the largest categorized sector on the Majoop platform, with 4,350 active vacancies. Operations & Supply Chain follows with 3,728 vacancies, while Healthcare & Social Care ranks third with 2,975 vacancies.
Technology & ICT, often perceived as the dominant vacancy sector, ranks only sixth with 1,990 active vacancies.
The labor market is therefore not simply shrinking. It is becoming more selective, more specialized and more sector-specific.
Three insights that define Q1 2026
1. Industry and operations lead, not ICT
Industry & Skilled Trades and Operations & Supply Chain together account for 8,078 active vacancies. That is more than four times the vacancy volume of Technology & ICT.
The strongest demand is concentrated around mechanics, work planners, production employees, drivers and healthcare professionals.
2. Strong candidates must be approached quickly
The average vacancy remains open for fourteen days. The median is only nine days.
Employers with lengthy recruitment processes therefore risk losing candidates to competitors.
3. Salary differences between sectors are substantial
Technology & ICT has the highest salary range:
€61,107 to €84,036 gross per year.
Hospitality & Retail has the lowest salary range, at €28,904 to €35,993. The difference between the maximum salaries is more than €48,000 per year.
Majoop insight
Vacancy volume and salary level do not automatically move in the same direction. Technology & ICT has fewer vacancies than several other sectors, but offers the highest salaries.
Labor market by industry
The table below covers 24,555 categorized vacancies across fourteen industries.
| Rank | Industry | Active vacancies | Scarcity | Annual salary range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Industry & Skilled Trades | 4,350 | High | €34,547 – €46,081 |
| 2 | Operations & Supply Chain | 3,728 | High | €39,000 – €50,050 |
| 3 | Healthcare & Social Care | 2,975 | Extreme | €39,122 – €57,412 |
| 4 | Engineering & Technology | 2,425 | High | €37,846 – €52,492 |
| 5 | Sales & Commercial | 2,230 | Average | €36,402 – €48,110 |
| 6 | Technology & ICT | 1,990 | Extreme | €61,107 – €84,036 |
| 7 | Finance & Accounting | 1,448 | Average | €41,662 – €58,893 |
| 8 | Hospitality & Retail | 1,361 | Low to average | €28,904 – €35,993 |
| 9 | Marketing & Communications | 874 | Average | Insufficient data |
| 10 | Legal & Compliance | 822 | High | €44,574 – €68,130 |
| 11 | Education & Training | 697 | Very high | €34,366 – €50,515 |
| 12 | HR & People | 680 | Average | €34,606 – €48,770 |
| 13 | Energy & Natural Resources | 589 | High | Insufficient data |
| 14 | Government & Public Safety | 386 | Average | Insufficient data |
Salary ranges are annual gross amounts based on published vacancy information. Sectors without sufficient salary data are excluded from the salary comparison.
The ten most in-demand job titles
| Rank | Job title | Active vacancies | Industry |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mechanic | 737 | Industry & Skilled Trades |
| 2 | Level 4 Nurse | 580 | Healthcare & Social Care |
| 3 | Customer Service Representative | 536 | Sales & Commercial |
| 4 | Administrative Assistant | 451 | Operations & Finance |
| 5 | Work Planner | 394 | Industry & Skilled Trades |
| 6 | Project Manager | 280 | Engineering & Technology |
| 7 | Production Employee | 255 | Operations & Supply Chain |
| 8 | Individual Healthcare Assistant | 231 | Healthcare & Social Care |
| 9 | Driver | 214 | Operations & Supply Chain |
| 10 | Service Mechanic | 213 | Industry & Skilled Trades |
Seven of the ten most in-demand job titles come from Industry & Skilled Trades, Healthcare & Social Care or Operations & Supply Chain. Technology & ICT does not appear in the national top ten.
Sector analysis
Industry & Skilled Trades
With 4,350 active vacancies, Industry & Skilled Trades is the largest sector in the dataset. Demand for mechanics, installers, work planners and other skilled professionals remains structurally high.
- Active vacancies: 4,350
- Salary range: €34,547 – €46,081
- Mechanic: 737 vacancies
- Work Planner: 394 vacancies
- Service Mechanic: 213 vacancies
Healthcare & Social Care
Healthcare & Social Care is the third-largest sector by volume, with 2,975 active vacancies, but faces extreme scarcity.
- Active vacancies: 2,975
- Salary range: €39,122 – €57,412
- Level 4 Nurse: 580 vacancies
- Individual Healthcare Assistant: 231 vacancies
Operations & Supply Chain
Operations & Supply Chain is the second-largest sector, with 3,728 active vacancies. Production Employee and Driver both appear in the national top ten.
- Active vacancies: 3,728
- Salary range: €39,000 – €50,050
- Production Employee: 255 vacancies
- Driver: 214 vacancies
Technology & ICT
Technology & ICT ranks sixth with 1,990 active vacancies. Vacancy volume is lower than often assumed, but salary levels are by far the highest.
- Active vacancies: 1,990
- Salary range: €61,107 – €84,036
- Scarcity: extreme
Finance & Accounting
Finance & Accounting has 1,448 active vacancies. Automation is reducing demand for generic administrative work, while specialist knowledge of NIS2, DORA, ESG reporting, risk management and data analysis is becoming more important.
- Active vacancies: 1,448
- Salary range: €41,662 – €58,893
Salary comparison
| Sector | Annual minimum | Annual maximum |
|---|---|---|
| Technology & ICT | €61,107 | €84,036 |
| Legal & Compliance | €44,574 | €68,130 |
| Finance & Accounting | €41,662 | €58,893 |
| Healthcare & Social Care | €39,122 | €57,412 |
| Engineering & Technology | €37,846 | €52,492 |
| Education & Training | €34,366 | €50,515 |
| Operations & Supply Chain | €39,000 | €50,050 |
| HR & People | €34,606 | €48,770 |
| Sales & Commercial | €36,402 | €48,110 |
| Industry & Skilled Trades | €34,547 | €46,081 |
| Hospitality & Retail | €28,904 | €35,993 |
What does this mean for employers?
Employers are no longer competing only with organizations in the same sector. Candidates compare roles based on salary, flexibility, commuting distance, remote-work options, development opportunities and speed.
Important actions:
- Publish a clear salary indication.
- State how many days employees are expected to work on-site.
- Make non-negotiable job requirements clear.
- Remove unnecessary interview rounds.
- Respond quickly to suitable candidates.
- Make employment conditions easy to compare.
- Measure where candidates leave the process.
What does this mean for recruiters?
The highest volumes are found in Industry & Skilled Trades, Operations & Supply Chain, Healthcare & Social Care and Engineering & Technology.
Recruiters must also consider the available candidate pool, region, qualification requirements, salary flexibility, employer response speed, exclusivity and competition.
Specialization is becoming more important. A recruiter with a strong network in one occupational group can provide more value than a generalist with a large but less relevant reach.
What does this mean for jobseekers?
The widest choice is available in Industry & Skilled Trades, Operations & Supply Chain and Healthcare & Social Care. The highest salaries are found in Technology & ICT, Legal & Compliance and Finance & Accounting.
With a median vacancy duration of nine days, responding quickly is important. Additional certification or specialist knowledge can make a significant difference, particularly in finance, compliance, engineering, energy and ICT.
Outlook for Q2 2026
Vacancy volume
Total vacancy volume is expected to decline by approximately 3% to 5%. The downward trend is continuing, but appears to be flattening.
Unemployment
A slight decline toward 3.9% is expected. This would still not make the labor market broadly loose.
Expected growth sectors
- Technology & ICT
- Construction
- Culture and sports
Sectors under pressure
- Financial services
- Retail
- Hospitality
- Generic administrative roles
Wage development
Wage agreements are expected to stabilize at approximately 3.1% to 3.4%. Market salaries for scarce specialists may continue to rise faster.
AI and automation
The adoption of AI and automation is accelerating. Employers are shifting part of their focus from recruitment alone toward automating processes and improving the productivity of existing employees.
Majoop forecast
The ratio between vacancies and unemployed workers may normalize further. Specialist roles will remain scarce, while generic positions are likely to become easier to fill.
Conclusion
The Dutch labor market remains in motion. Industry, operations, healthcare and engineering account for the highest vacancy volumes. Technology, legal and finance offer the highest salaries.
The market is becoming primarily more selective. Employers must act faster and provide greater transparency. Recruiters must specialize further. Jobseekers can improve their prospects by developing current, difficult-to-replace expertise.
Methodology and sources
This report combines public labor-market information with vacancy data from the Majoop Platform Intelligence engine.
Sources used:
- Statistics Netherlands (CBS): vacancy statistics, unemployment figures and collective wage development
- UWV: labor-market scarcity indicators, promising occupations, unemployment-benefit trends and regional labor-market information
- ManpowerGroup: Employment Outlook Survey, Talent Shortage Survey and technology outlooks
- AWVN: wage development and collective labor agreements
- Majoop: 216,419 active Dutch vacancies, more than 385,000 vacancies in the crawler, 69,763 expired vacancies in six months and 24,555 categorized vacancies
Not every vacancy contains sufficient information to be assigned to an industry or salary range. Subtotals may therefore differ from the total number of vacancies.
Which development do you recognize most strongly in your sector?
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