Business
ASML boosts factory output to meet global chip demand
Dutch semiconductor specialist ASML is expanding its manufacturing capacity for advanced DUV and low NA EUV lithography machines by 30 per cent next year to satisfy a surge in customer orders. The company is shortening assembly lead times, streamlining factory testing protocols, and preparing to break ground on a major new site at Eindhoven's Brainport Industries Campus. While restructuring efforts are underway to cut corporate bureaucracy, rapid business growth is expected to create new opportunities for affected personnel.
Business
KPN CFO leaves for chip company ASMI
Chris Figee will leave KPN later this year to take up a senior role at chip supplier ASMI. He will start with special projects before moving into the Chief Financial Officer position, pending shareholder approval in 2027. Current CFO Paul Verhagen plans to retire in May 2027.
Business
Letschert hails plan for mandatory internship pay
Education Minister Rianne Letschert has welcomed the government's plan to introduce a legally mandated internship allowance for vocational, professional, and university students, arguing that practical training deserves financial recognition. While the new legislation establishes the obligation to pay interns, it deliberately avoids setting a strict statutory minimum amount to prevent employers from cutting back on available placements, leaving sectors free to determine their own fair rates instead. Short-term placements and international internships will be exempt from the new rules, though Letschert warned that a legal minimum floor could still be introduced in the future if industry-set allowances remain too low.
Career
Greater chance of a job in construction or in a second-hand shop
Job seekers now have better prospects in construction, pet care, and second‑hand retail, according to the UWV. Demand for roles such as bricklayers, veterinary assistants, and shop staff has grown, while AI is reducing opportunities in customer contact and advertising. The agency still counts more than three hundred promising professions across the labour market.
Career
VPRO cuts 58 jobs due to budget cuts
VPRO will cut 58 jobs as part of a reorganisation driven by budget reductions. The changes affect teams in media, production, and several support...
Business
Chemical giant Dow to cut 605 jobs in the Netherlands
Chemical multinational Dow has announced plans to cut 605 jobs in the Netherlands as part of a sweeping global restructuring effort. The cuts represent more than one-fifth of the company's total Dutch workforce, primarily impacting its massive chemical manufacturing hub in Terneuzen. While management is entering consultations to find socially responsible solutions, the broader corporate strategy aims to increase profitability through automation and fewer management layers.
Business
More than half of job changers shift sectors
More than half of Dutch employees who switch jobs end up working in a different sector, according to new analysis by De Nederlandsche Bank (DNB). The degree of cross‑sector mobility varies sharply between industries, with waste & energy and culture & recreation showing the highest outflow.
Business
Gender pay gap legislation supported by firms – feasibility concerns loom
While companies broadly support a new law forcing businesses with over 100 employees to report on gender pay gaps from 2027, many are sounding warnings over increased red tape and privacy risks. Major employers agree that pay transparency boosts workplace satisfaction, but firms like PwC and Fastned urge that reporting must stay simple and include proper context, as raw numbers can obscure justified salary differences. Furthermore, accounting firm KPMG has raised concerns that the current proposal fails to fully protect employee privacy, threatening to expose individual salaries to colleagues.
Career
Netherlands proposes pay transparency rules from 2027
The Dutch government plans to introduce new pay transparency rules from 2027. Employees would gain access to salary information, while employers must report pay gaps. The proposal aims to reduce inequality, but still requires parliamentary approval.
Career
Trade union urges government to protect retail workers’ weekends
The Dutch trade union FNV has launched a campaign to protect retail workers from a potential extension of trading hours by the national government. The union warns that proposed changes to the Shop Hours Act could force staff, including delivery drivers and security guards, to work more evenings and weekends.
Business
ASML and trade unions reach agreement on social plan
ASML and major Dutch trade unions have reached an agreement on a social plan to support employees during the company’s current transformation. The plan focuses on preventing forced redundancies through internal redeployment, generous severance pay, and extended employment guarantees.