1. Living and Working in The Netherlands
Cindy Sijmonsma
EURES adviser
In this presentation I will tell you something about:
The Netherlands
The labour market
Looking for jobs
Wages, social security, tax
“the Dutchmen”
Who does the Netherlands need?
What do you need?
Living and Working in The Netherlands

2. The Netherlands 41.526 Km2 26% below sea level
Average density of population: 485 per km2
Randstad 1000 per km2
The Hague 5762 per km2 !
the Netherlands is a crowded country, small, only 200 km from east to west and about 300 km from north to south.
Many of the 16 million people live in the mid-west part, called de “Randstad”. Is the average density of population 387 a square kilometre, in the Randstad it is about a (KLIK 2x)
Here you will find most of the jobs. And as a consequence it is most difficult to find a place to live in that area.
Working & Living in The Netherlands

3. Labour market
Unemployment in the Netherlands is very low at the moment, employers do need workers, but the are still very picky on who to choose.
Example of that can be seen in the unemployment rates of elderly people and young workers: the top line shows unemployment in totla, the bottom line the unemployment of young people under 23. They are “cheep” as the legal wages are much lower, depending on age. 15 years old earn 30% of the fixed minimum wages, 20 years old 61%!
Working & Living in The Netherlands

4. Results vacancy-survey 2007
High age is obstruction in finding a job (55+ 1%)
Elementary educated often unemployed
Temporarily work with a view on a permanent job is most current procedure
Working & Living in The Netherlands

5. In the Netherlands there is need of :
Health sector
Construction workers, carpenters, masons
Gardeners, agricultural and horticultural workers
Cooks
Electricians
Welders, metal workers
Warehouse co-worker
BA and MA in ICT, Engineering and Marketing
Dutch language skills depending on the profession,
English or German is a must!
Working & Living in The Netherlands

6. How to find a job? Public Employment Service /CWI =
Centre for Work and Income >
Temporary Work Agencies
Personal contacts
Newspapers > Volkskrant/ Telegraaf
Internet
Speculative applications  common and successful
Working & Living in The Netherlands

7. Temporary work agencies “Uitzendbureau”
Widespread in the Netherlands
All kinds of work
Often first period in a new permanent job
Job seekers don’t pay, employers do
Very important: Job seekers never pay fee at a temp agency. If they do want you to pay for administration or other things: don’t trust the agency! Only if you must pay for the accommodation, that might be correct.
Working & Living in The Netherlands

8. How to apply to a job Telephone Letter of motivation accompanied by CV
Application methods:
blue collar jobs: less formal, telephone
white collar jobs: more formal, written
Working & Living in The Netherlands

9. Letter of motivation Adjusted to the company and the vacancy
Not more than one A4
Sell yourself: How can you be of service to the company
Ask to be invited for a personal interview
Working & Living in The Netherlands

10. Adjusted to the company/job
Curriculum Vitae
One/two A4
Personal data
Education
Experience
Hobbies?
Adjusted to the company/job
Working & Living in The Netherlands

11. Contracts Permanent labour contract Temporary (Fixed) labour contract
Trial period 2 months
Temporary (Fixed) labour contract
>2 years: trial period 2 months
<2 years: maximum trial period 1 month
>3 years  permanent
>3 in a row  permanent contract
Contract with an agency
More information at
 Special in the Netherlands: dismissal laws!
One of the reasons there are many temporary contracts is the problem employers have dismissing workers with a permanent contract. In the Netherlands employers need to have permission to dismiss an employee before giving notice. Together with the short trial period, employers want to have a chance to find out enough about the new employee! But politics are very keen on changing this system, so it might be different next year.
Fixed contracts not more then 3 in a row, the 4th is permanent, unless there was 3 months in between 2 contracts. Also if the contracts are n total more then 3 years it turns into permanent.
Working & Living in The Netherlands

12. Holidays 4 x number of work days a week
2 weeks in a row, rest upon agreement
Only 6 bank holidays
8% of the annual salary extra,
paid in May
Sometimes it looks like people have very many days off. This is because quite often the salary is for 36 or 38 hours, and the workweek is 40 hours. This gives 2 or 4 hours extra a week.
Working & Living in The Netherlands

13. Wages CAO Collective Labour Agreement
For different sectors of industry
Applies for all workers in the company
Temporary work agencies follow this agreement
Individual agreement
There is a special CAO for temporary work agencies, usually a bit less than the used CAO in the company. It is legal however
Working & Living in The Netherlands

14. Wages Legal minimum wage, depending on age
23 and older fixed minimum wage
Monthly €1.356,60
Weekly € 313,05
15-22 years old: lower percentage
Indication of net wages
23 and older € 1160,-
Income tax and social contributions
Between 34 and 52%, depending on income
If worked< 1 year, partly refund possible
Wages youth employees
Gross minimum wages youth employees 
age  % monthly weekly Per day 
%  ,10 266,10 53,22
%  983,55 226,95 38,51
%  834,30 192,55 38,51
%  712,20 164,35 32,87
%  617,25 142,45 28,49
%  535,85 123,65 24,73
%  468,05 108,00 21,60
30%  407,00 93,90 18,78
Tax:
over € – €
41,95% over € €
42 % over € €
52 % over €
Working & Living in The Netherlands

15. Social Security Old age pension Health insurance Unemployment benefits
2% per annum worked in the Netherlands
Health insurance
Register with a Dutch health insurer
Unemployment benefits
Sickness insurance
Social allowance,
Might not be given to other nationalities
Child benefit,
must be applied for
Pension: 2%per annum worked in the Netherlands + possible private insurance
Health: partly paid by your salary, reimbursed by employer. Still a contribution must be made by yourself, for every insured person over 18 years old in your family if they live in the Netherlands
Unemployment benefit is compulsory, the employer pays most, and part is deducted from your salary. Same is applicable for sickness insurance, so if you are unfit to work because of sickness, you get paid most f your salary anyhow.
Social allowance will be a problem, the community is not due to pay social allowance. Asking for it may cause your compulsory departure from the Netherlands.
Child benefits are paid according to Dutch regulations, possibly also for children living in Hungary, but you must apply for it at the SVB
No separate legislation for industrial accidents and occupational diseases.
Working & Living in The Netherlands

16. Living and Working – Registration
Obtain a BSN at tax office or municipality
(Burgerservicenummer= fiscal number)
Bring necessary E-forms
Staying >3 months: register at the city administration
Check for addresses:
taxes
working in the Netherlands
living&working
work permits
BSN: in case of registration at municipality
Sofinumber Tax office in case of work <4 months or cross border working
Working & Living in The Netherlands

17. How to find accommodation?
Seasonal work:
The employer must provide accommodation
Regular jobs:
Rent and buy
Private agencies
Public organisations (Woningcorporaties)
Rental of furnished houses
Cities  countryside
Public organisations: Need for registration, system of ‘points’/urgency declaration
Houses rented or bought you still have to pay gas, water, electricity etc.
Rental of furnished houses:
Often for 3 years, quite expensive and mainly via private agencies
In cities: rare and expensive
Countryside: easier to find and cheaper
Working & Living in The Netherlands

18. ‘The Dutchman’ How to cope with:
Last year the Argentinean wife of our crown prince said she looked for “the” Dutch identity, but could not find it. Indeed, as probably in Hungary, all 16 million Dutch are different individuals, but still there are some typical things to say about the Dutch
Working & Living in The Netherlands

19. How to cope with: ‘The Dutchman’
Rudeness or “being open and direct”?
Dutch always seem to “know better”
Poldermodel: meetings
Work and home are different worlds
Every hour is planned, as well work as free time
Being in time is very important
Maybe most typical for the Dutch is there open and direct way of communicating. They can be very direct, in a way many people from abroad just think they are very rude. Also they always know better, or so they think. The Netherlands has 16 million football coaches.
Dutch do live with a diary, every hour is planned, So if you are expected to arrive for a meeting at 10, o o’clock, don’t be late.
Also don’t visit them by 6 PM because they will have dinner then and most of the Dutch don’t expect uninvited guests for dinner. This doesn’t seem to be very hospitable, but Dutch just are used to make an appointment to eat together, and than they are very hospitable.
Working & Living in The Netherlands

20. How to cope with: ‘The Dutchman’
Hierarchy
Food habits
Traffic
Open curtains
Birthdays
In many companies employer and employees work together on a first name base. Still you must respect the boss for what he/she is!
As for food habits: Dutch usually take a box with some slices of bread to work for lunch. And milk is accepted at lunch and breakfast as a healthy drink, also for grown ups. There are many foreign restaurants, but at home it is quite often meat, vegetables and potatoes.
The traffic in the cities seems to be very hectic. Mainly because of the many bicycles that seem to stick to no rule at all. So be careful wit them. And do stick to the maximum speed, don’t call hand held and don’t park where you are not allowed to, as the fines for traffic offences are very high!
One of the most made remarks by foreigners is: you Dutch always have your curtains open. That is thrue, but please don’t peep to strikingly!
If you visit a Dutch family (invited that is), bring some flowers for the hostess and at a birthday a small gift. Birthdays are a family matter, a celebration with all family, friends and neighbours is usual. And you will only be offered 1 piece of cake!
Working & Living in The Netherlands

21. Questions? Thank you very much for your attention!
Working & Living in The Netherlands