Dutch tech freelancers face record competition as applications per contract triple
Freelancers and contractors in the Dutch technology sector are facing sharply rising competition for assignments as the number of applicants per contract has tripled in the past two years, according to new data released by Intelligence Group and HeadFirst Group.
The figures show that while the overall number of highly educated flexible workers declined this year to approximately 860,000 for the first time in years, demand for contracts has intensified, according to De Telegraaf. A growing share of professionals are actively seeking new work, increasing pressure across the market.
HeadFirst Group, a human resources firm that mediates in the technology industry, and Intelligence Group, a labor market data specialist, jointly published their Talent Monitor revealing the latest trends.
Marion van Happen, chief executive of HeadFirst, said the shift has created new dynamics between clients and freelancers. “The playing field has changed,” she told De Telegraaf. “For clients, this offers opportunities. They have more choice among professionals and therefore more control. For professionals, it means they must profile themselves more explicitly in an increasingly tight labor market.”
According to the report, one third of people employed through staffing agencies are now actively looking for a new assignment. Among freelancers, nearly a quarter were doing so by the end of the first quarter.
The number of available assignments has shown a steady downward trend. Since the first quarter of 2022, the average number of responses per assignment has tripled. The index measuring reactions stood at 49 two years ago but climbed to 152 in the first quarter of this year.
Despite the drop in demand, hourly rates have continued to rise. For the first time, the average rate surpassed 100 euros per hour, representing a 9 percent increase compared with the first quarter of 2022 and 2 percent higher than the same period last year.
Geert-Jan Waasdorp, director of Intelligence Group, told De Telegraaf that the record fees demonstrate that companies remain willing to pay well for professionals with specialized skills or extensive experience.
The heightened competition comes amid broader uncertainty in the sector. More IT workers are now unemployed due to reorganizations and the rapid adoption of artificial intelligence. “Trees no longer grow to the sky,” one analysis noted of the changing expectations in technology careers.
