Dutch construction sector will need 60,000 additional workers in the coming 3 years

The Dutch construction sector will need 60,000 new workers in the next three years. Some 50,000 of them can come from education. The other 10,000 will have to be migrant workers or lateral entrants from other professions, the Economic Institute for Construction (EIB) reported on Wednesday.

There is a very high demand for construction workers to build homes, schools, and industrial complexes, EIB researcher Jeffrey Kok said. “But also, for example, for making homes gas-free.”

The EIB expects production to increase especially now that the government is planning to build more homes, and workers are needed for that. The need for new workers will increase significantly, especially from 2026 onwards.

The Dutch construction sector has been struggling with significant staff shortages since 2020. The main culprits are the aging population, workers retiring early, and absenteeism. “Every year, it involves 10,000 people who retire or can no longer work. At the moment there are 70 to 80 vacancies per 1,000 people. These levels have never been reached before 2019.”

The construction sector currently includes tens of thousands of migrant workers, mostly temporary workers, freelancers, or seconded workers. The EIB expects that number to increase in the coming years. “This mainly concerns workers from Central and Eastern Europe. If necessary, we will be forced to look further.”