More Dutch hunting jobs abroad

The number of Dutchmen hunkering for a job outside the nation’s borders has quadrupled in the past three years.

According to Hubert Heutink of Government benefits unit UWV, whereas in 2011 4,000 people were looking for a foreign job posting, that number stands at 47,000 today. “The numbers are growing exponentially; every month there are 15,000 new people added to the list,” said Heutink.

He pointed out that it regards unemployed people as well as people who already have a job but want to add some adventure to their lives. And their educational varies. “You have people who live around border and look for a job in the German daycare sector, to people in the IT and medical sectors that want to work abroad,” said Heutink.

But according to Tom Bey, the director of the International Emigration Expo that opens next week in Houten, there’s not just supply but also demand. “There’s companies from the north of Sweden hiring Dutch truck drivers. And at the fair we will have a hospital from Bonaire that is looking to hire medical personnel,” said Bey. Fair newcomer Canada is looking for all sorts of people, from construction workers to architects.

The expo that will run on February 8 and 9 in the Expo Houten Exhibition Center in Houten, will actually be opened by Canadian ambassador J. Lambert. Being held for the eighth time, it has so far this year attracted a record number of registrations.