According to our analysis of microdata from Statistics Netherlands (CBS) covering the period 2011–2025, one in six Dutch workers changes jobs each year on average. This mobility fluctuates in line with the business cycle, but has shown no clear upward or downward trend over the past fifteen years. However, there are major differences between categories of workers and between sectors.
Major differences between sectors
Not all workers who change jobs stay in the same sector. No less than 57% do so on average, but percentages vary widely between sectors. In relatively small sectors, such as mining and quarrying, or water and waste treatment, around 80% of workers who quit their jobs move to another sector. Such intersectoral mobility is also relatively high in culture and recreation, facility services and agriculture.
In contrast, other sectors see workers mostly sticking to their branch of industry. In the healthcare and financial services sectors, around three-quarters of those switching jobs choose to remain in their own sector. This suggests that skills and experience gained in these sectors are sector-specific and lend themselves to transfers between similar employers.
