Municipal staff shortage: Third of officials retiring in 10 years, vacancies remain open

Municipalities across the Netherlands are already struggling with staff shortages, and this problem is expected to worsen in the coming years. Around a third of municipal employees will retire in the coming decade, and vacancies are remaining unfilled for longer and longer, NOS reports based on research from the A&O Fund Municipaliites, which helps municipalities with human resources.

The study shows that municipalities are facing three major, unavoidable developments: a persistent labor shortage, the aging population, and increasing workload for remaining employees.

“Municipal staff is aging faster than the national workforce,” Patricia Honcoop of A&O told NOS. In the coming decade, 30 percent of civil servants will reach retirement age, compared to 23 percent of the total population.

Municipalities are aging organizations, with few young people joining. Civil servants’ salaries are generally lower than in the private sector, especially for shortage positions like financial specialists, lawyers, or civil engineers. At the same time, municipalities are assigned more and more tasks. That, combined with the already existing staff shortages, means that civil servants’ workload is growing heavier, making it an increasingly unappealing position.

“It is a huge challenge to find good staff,” a spokesperson for the municipality of Arnhem told NOS. Arnhem has several hundred vacancies per year, and filling them isn’t always easy. Projects related to the energy transition and the renovation of a shopping center, among others, have come to a standstill as a result.

Two years ago, Arnhem launched a pilot project called the municipal pool, in which it recruits candidates based on motivation and skills, instead of looking only at the requirements of the vacancy. It has resulted in more people from a variety of fields, who could then advance within the municipality. “You’re not a project manager from the start. But our poolers get to work on various projects and can then naturally progress,” a spokesperson said.

To prevent a loss of knowledge and experience with so many civil servants retiring in the coming years, the municipalities of Westland, Rijkswijk, Midden Delfland, and Maassluis joined a pilot project experimenting with allowing retired civil servants to continue working part-time in May last year.

“Municipalities naturally want to rejuvenate their workforce,” Wybe Schuitema, a business manager involved in the pilot project, told the broadcaster. “But who will train those people effectively? You can use retirees for that.” Others continue working in their familiar field. According to Schuitema, the civil servant decides which track they want to follow.

Schuitema expects “dozens” more municipalities to join the project this year. “It’s a new option on the menu to address the staff shortage. You can hire new people, but you’re just not finding them.”