The Netherlands is no longer one of the five best performing economies in the world, according to the World Economic Forum's rankings. In this year's ranking, the Netherlands came in sixth place, dropping two spots from last year's fourth, AD reports.
The best performing economy of the 140 economies tested is the United States. Singapore came in second place, followed by Germany and Switzerland. Japan completes the top five.
Almost half, 46 percent, of the Dutch population saw their purchasing power decrease last year, Statistics Netherlands reported on Thursday. The purchasing power developments varied considerably in 2017. For a fifth of the population, purchasing power decreased by at least 7 percent. Another fifth saw their purchasing power increase by 10.9 percent.
The disadvantaged position women have on the Dutch labor market costs the Netherlands billions of euros, according to a study done by consultancy firm McKinsey. If the Dutch labor market was as gender-equal as the best performing neighboring countries, the Dutch economy would get a 114 billion euros boost. If the labor market was totally gender-equal, that would generate 221 billion euros, Financieele Dagblad and NOS report.
The Rutte III government needs to take measures to encourage purchasing power development, because employees otherwise benefit from economic growth only to a limited extent, Rabobank concluded in a study into wage developments. "While the Dutch economy grew by 2.9 percent last year, the collective bargaining wages only climbed 1.4 percent - only barely enough to rise above the 1.3 percent inflation", the bank said, NU.nl reports.
The Dutch economy will continue growing this year and next year, though a bit slower than expected, central planning office CPB said on Thursday. The CPB expects 2.8 percent growth in 2018 and 2.6 percent in 2019, instead of 2.9 percent and 2.7 percent as the office expected in June, NU.nl reports.
The Dutch economy continues to grow strongly and economic growth is even accelerating, according to Statistics Netherlands. In the second quarter the Dutch economy grew by 0.7 percent compared to the first quarter of this year. The stats office attributes the accelerating growth to foreign trade and higher investments.
The Netherlands is one of the countries that will be most negatively affected in the event of a so-called 'hard' Brexit - if the United Kingdom leaves the European Union without trade agreements. Only Ireland will be hit harder, the International Monetary Fund calculates, NU.nl reports.
According to the IMF, a hard Brexit can cost the Netherlands 0.7 percent of its national income. Ireland will see a decrease of 4 percent.
The Dutch economy is growing steadily and is expected to continue growing in the next two years, but employees in the Netherlands are not sufficiently benefiting from this growth, the OECD - the global organization that examines the social and economic policy of its member countries - said in its report on the state of the Netherlands economy, NOS reports.
The outlook for the Netherlands economy is still positive, the International Monetary Fund said in its annual report on the Netherlands. The IMF again raised concerns about the growth of wages in the country being smaller than other countries with comparable economies. Annual wage growth in the Netherlands is around 1 percent, too little to compensate for inflation, the IMF said, NOS and ANP report.
Illegal cannabis cultivation in the Netherlands is far larger than previously thought, Statistics Netherlands said in a revision of old economic figures. According to the stats office, many more illegal weed growers remain below the police radar than previously assumed.
In 2015 the stats office assumed that 40 percent of illegal cannabis cultivators were caught by the police. But new information from the National Police indicate that its more realistic to assume that around 20 percent of weed growers are caught.
The Dutch economy grew by 3.2 percent last year, and more people in the Netherlands had work than ever before. Despite this, the growth in net disposable income is still lagging behind, Statistics Netherlands reported on Tuesday.
In 2017 net real disposable income - the amount Dutch have left to spend after all premiums and taxes were deducted, corrected for inflation - grew by 1.5 percent. This was the third year in a row that Dutch had more to spend. But the growth is small compared to the 3.2 percent growth in the Netherlands gross domestic product.
Between the years 2000 and 2016, companies in the Netherlands' production methods have become cleaner and they used relatively less raw materials. Companies that are involved in environmental protection and natural resources are also doing well - their production and employment opportunities increased, Statistics Netherlands reported in its Green Growth report on Monday.
Almost all regions in the Netherlands saw economic growth last year. The Groningen region was the only one to see its economy shrink. The regions around Eindhoven and Almere saw the strongest growth, Statistics Netherlands reported on Tuesday.
In both the Eindhoven and Almere regions, the economy grew by 4.9 percent last year compared to 2016. In Zuidoost-Noord-Brabant - Eindhoven and its surroundings - last year's economic growth was mainly supported by industry and business services. In Almere, lease companies in particular contributed to the economic growth.
The Dutch economy will continue to grow strongly this year and next year, according to expectations announced by the Netherlands office for economic policy analysis CPB on Tuesday. Next year unemployment will drop to its lowest level since 2001, NU.nl reports.
The Dutch economy grew by 3.1 percent in 2017, the strongest growth in 10 years, Statistics Netherlands reported on Wednesday.
In the last quarter of 2017, the economy's growth decreased somewhat, but was still strong at 2.9 percent compared to the last quarter of 2016. Compared to the third quarter of 2017, the GDP grew by 0.8 percent.
Investments and exports in particular contributed to economic growth in the fourth quarter. Household consumption decreased somewhat, but the industry grew more.
The North American trade agreement NAFTA falling apart would have negative consequences for the three countries it covers - the United States, Canada, and Mexico - but not for the Netherlands, Rabobank said in a report drawn up in response to increasing uncertainty that NAFTA will survive. The agreement collapsing could give Dutch businesses a 3 billion euros boost, the bank calculates.
The Dutch economy will grow by 3.1 percent next year, according to the Netherlands central planning office for economic policy CPB. "Such growth percentages have not occurred since 2007", CPB said, NU.nl reports. "Because of the persistently high growth, there will be a boom in the coming year."
The Dutch economy continues to grow strongly, with growth of over 3 percent expected for this year and next year, according to Dutch central bank DNB's latest forecast, RTL Nieuws reports.
The economic growth will reach a peak of 3.3 percent this year, the strongest growth in 10 years, according to DNB. Next year the bank expects the economy to grow by 3.1 percent, and 2.3 percent growth is expected in 2019. "We are moving from economic recovery to economic expansion", DNB director Job Swank said, according to the broadcaster.
Monday's heavy snowfall, and the problems in traffic and productivity it caused, cost the Dutch economy around 35 million euros, according to calculations by the Economic Research Foundation and Statistics Netherlands chief economist Peter Hein van Mulligen, BNR reports.
If there is a whole business day in which no work is done in a quarter, like when Christmas falls on a week day, it costs the Netherlands' GDP 0.2 to 0.3 percent of growth, Van Mulligen said to the broadcaster. That amounts to 350 million euros the Netherlands' economy loses out on.
If the United Kingdom leaves the European Union without a trade treaty, a so-called hard Brexit, the cost to the Netherlands can amount to some 4 thousand euros per working Dutchman, economists at Rabobank calculated on Thursday, NU.nl reports.
People in the Netherlands want the new Dutch government to give top priority to healthcare, according to social and cultural planning office SCP's quarterly survey of what Dutch think about the country. "45 percent of respondents put healthcare on number one", SCP spokesperson Josje den Ridder said to NOS.
For the second year in a row, the Netherlands has the most competitive economy in the European Union, and the fourth most competitive economy in the world, according to the World Economic Forum (WEF). The Netherlands scored particularly well because of its strong base in, for example, infrastructure and macroeconomic policy, said Erasmus University - the WEF partner organization in the Netherlands, NU.nl reports.
On Tuesday King Willem-Alexander opened the Netherlands' parliamentary year with his traditional Budget Day speech. He talked about the devastation Hurricane Irma left of the Caribbean islands that form part of the Dutch Kingdom, terrorism around the world, the prosecution of those responsible for the MH17 disaster, and making sure that everyone in the Netherlands benefits from the improving economy, among other things.
Today is the last Budget Day for the departing Rutte II cabinet. In tradition and ceremony, the day is expected to look like every other Budget Day, with politicians decked out in fancy hats, the Royals arriving at the Ridderzaal in The Hague in a carriage and the famous balcony scene after the throne speech. But given the current VVD and PvdA government's departing status, no big news is expected in the budget. Big changes are left up to the new government.
