Many former self-employed workers quickly find new jobs, often in a different sector or occupation

By mid-2026, the number of self-employed workers had fallen by around 131,000 compared with the end of 2024, when it had peaked at almost 1.3 million. Since then, fewer people have started working as self-employed workers, while more have left self-employment. What do these former self-employed workers do next?

Most former self-employed workers quickly find new work

The decline in self-employment has had little impact on unemployment. More than half of those who leave self-employment find paid work again within three months. 

Around one-third move into a permanent job or a position offering the prospect of a permanent contract. A similarly large group takes up flexible work. In addition, some go on to start businesses that employ staff.

Only 7% of former self-employed workers  become unemployed, a figure comparable to previous years. Leaving self-employment therefore mainly results in movement within the labour market rather than a greater flow into unemployment.

New job, new sector or occupation

Many former self-employed workers do not simply continue doing the same work once they have entered paid employment. A new job often comes with a change of direction: almost half of those who find new work move into a different sector. They move into in a wide range of sectors, particularly healthcare and social care, government and education, and retail, transport and hospitality. In addition, nearly 40% work in a different occupational category three months later.

These figures point to substantial movement across the labour market. However, a change of sector or occupational category does not necessarily mean that someone is doing entirely different work. Part of the observed movement may reflect differences in how work is classified before and after the transition. 

A turning point: self-employment declines for the first time in more than twenty years

After more than twenty years of almost uninterrupted growth, the number of self-employed workers in the Netherlands has fallen for the first time. This marks the end of a long-standing upward trend. 

Self-employment plays an important role in the economy. It provides businesses with flexibility while offering workers greater autonomy. A decline in the number of self-employed workers does not necessarily mean that the labour market is becoming less flexible. In mid-2026, around 12% of the employed workforce were primarily self-employed, still a substantial share by international standards. Moreover, our analysis shows that many former self-employed workers quickly find other paid work. 

Is stricter enforcement against false self-employment a factor?

The decline in the number of self-employed workers coincides with the end of the enforcement moratorium on false self-employment as per 1 January 2025. Since then, the Tax and Customs Administration has once again been actively monitored whether employment relationships are being classified correctly. Our data do not allow us to determine whether stricter enforcement is the main reason for the decline. They contain no information on why self-employed workers leave self-employment. 

 There are, however, some indications. We observe relatively high levels of movement between self-employment and employment in sectors where false self-employment is frequently debated, including healthcare, construction, facility services and business services.

A key finding is that the decline in self-employment is accompanied by substantial labour mobility. As former self-employed workers find new jobs, often in a different sector or occupation, labour can be reallocated to where it is most productive. Such mobility is important from a macroeconomic perspective because it helps businesses and workers adapt to changes in the economy. This is why DNB monitors developments in the labour market: they provide insight into the adaptability of the Dutch economy.