The labor market for journalists is worsening, union says

The job market for journalists deteriorated last year, according to the Dutch journalists’ union NVJ. After years of declining figures, there was an increase last year in the number of journalists who started looking for a new job. Unemployment among journalists has risen to 7 percent as a result, the union concluded based on welfare benefits paid to those in the sector who are out of work.

Numerous data points were cited in a report published on Wednesday. The NVJ counted significantly fewer vacancies compared to 2023. Although freelancers have started earning more money, they also derived a larger portion of their income from non-journalistic work, the NVJ said. The Netherlands has a total of around 18,500 journalists, many of whom are part-timers. According to the union, more than half are employed.

“We expect unemployment among journalists to continue to rise in the coming year. The recent decline in vacancies and developments looming over the market do not paint a rosy picture for the labor market,” the experts at the union noted.

The NVJ pointed to the announced government cutbacks at Dutch public broadcast organization NPO, as one example. “The national and regional public broadcasters together are one of the most important employers of journalists in the country. Although it is not yet clear exactly where the NPO will make cutbacks, the chance is slim that editorial offices will remain completely unaffected.”

It is also an insecure time for freelancers, according to the union. “First of all, because of the chance that the Netherlands will have one less major media organization if the proposed takeover of RTL Nederland by DPG Media goes ahead.“

Although RTL Nederland will not disappear as a result of the takeover, the broadcasting organization's channels and all other DPG Media titles will count as one client for the Tax Authorities after the takeover. This makes it difficult for freelancers to spread their work sufficiently. And it worsens their negotiating position, the union said

In addition, the tax authorities have started enforcing the rules against bogus self-employment as of this year. This makes it more difficult for freelancers who work a lot in editorial offices to continue doing their work.

Various employers in the sector already anticipated this last year. They announced that they only wanted to work with employees or self-employed persons who met the stricter requirements. According to the NVJ, many freelancers currently do not meet these requirements.