Increase in both starting and closing businesses; Vacancies above pre-Covid levels

Over 21,000 new businesses opened in the Netherlands in May, but 10,000 companies also closed, the Chamber of Commerce (KvK) announced. The number of job vacancies also more than recovered from its Covid-19 dip, with a record 400,000 more vacancies last year, Statistics Netherlands (CBS) reported.

The number of startups increased by 16 percent in May, while the number of quitters climbed 32 percent, the KvK said. Most of both categories could be found in the health and catering sectors. The number of bankruptcies increased in May compared to April but was still very low at 161.

According to the KvK, the growth in catering startups is entirely due to event catering, which includes independent chefs and baristas. “With the festival season starting and catching up with all kinds of celebrations, these are heydays for event catering,” Erik Stam, professor of strategy, organization, and entrepreneurship, said to NOS. “In healthcare, the shift from paid employment to self-employed work, both nurses and home care, is the main cause.”

After climbing uninterrupted for six years, the number of job vacancies in the Netherlands fell by 241,000 to 1 million in the first year of the coronavirus pandemic. But they more than recovered last year, the second coronavirus year, CBS said. In 2021, job vacancies increased by a record 400,000 to 1.4 million.

The number of vacancies increased in all sectors, but especially in the catering sector and business economics and administrative services. The vacancies in these sectors also decreased the most in 2020.