Staff shortages are continuing to cause problems for employers in the Netherlands, according to a survey by employers’ association AWVN. Nearly three-quarters of employers said they are unable to complete their workforce planning.
As a result, half of the employers reported that the quality of their products and services is under pressure. More than a quarter said they are unable to deliver products or services at all due to a lack of staff. To manage the situation, almost half are hiring people who do not yet fully meet job requirements and are training them internally. Part-time employees are also being asked to increase their working hours.
The survey found that long-standing vacancies are most common in engineering, production and IT. Many sectors also face an ongoing shortage of MBO graduates. AWVN has called on the government to take action. The organisation said that the “unintended growth” in the number of civil servants has added further pressure to the labour market.
The association has raised concerns about staff shortages before. A few months ago, it urged the cabinet to review job creation in the public sector. “Just like the business community, the public sector will also have to be critical of the meaningfulness and necessity of tasks and work processes,” AWVN said.
AWVN has also suggested measures to ease the shortage. These include investing in education and research, and making it easier to hire people who face barriers to employment. It also recommends encouraging employees to work more hours, for example, by reducing allowances, and taking a balanced approach to knowledge migrants, students and labour migrants.
@anp | NEWS BRAINPORT
