36 per cent of employers want to hire more staff in Q1 2026
10 December 2025, Amsterdam – In the first quarter of the new year, no less than 36 per cent of employers expect to hire more staff. This gives the Netherlands the highest employment outlook in Europe. This is according to the ManpowerGroup Employment Outlook Survey (MEOS), a survey conducted by ManpowerGroup in 41 countries among 39,063 employers, including 524 in the Netherlands. This is an increase of eight percentage points compared to Q4 2025 and six percentage points higher than in the same period last year.
Construction and real estate is the most competitive sector
Employers in all sectors expect their workforce to grow in the coming quarter. These are the key figures:
- Construction and real estate sector: The strongest increase in employment expectations is found in the construction and real estate sector, where more than half of employers (56%) expect to recruit more staff in Q1 2026. Compared to the previous quarter, this is an increase of 25 percentage points, making this sector the one with the largest quarterly improvement.
- Public sector, health and social services: In the public sector, including health and social services, 42 per cent of employers expect to expand their workforce in Q1 2026. This is an increase of 14 percentage points compared to the previous quarter.
- Trade and logistics: In the trade and logistics sector, 36 per cent of organisations expect to hire more staff. However, this represents a decline of 10 percentage points compared to the previous quarter.
- Information sector: Within the information sector, 36 per cent of employers anticipate an increase in their workforce. This represents a significant increase of 20 percentage points compared to Q4 2025.
Labour market remains under pressure
The strong outlook for the Netherlands stems from a resilient economy. Since Q3, the number of unemployed has once again slightly exceeded the number of vacancies, although shortages remain in various sectors and positions. Many organisations still face challenges in finding specific skills: engineering profiles are particularly difficult to fill (28%), followed by AI model and application development (19%) and traditional IT and data skills (17%). To address shortages, 36 per cent of organisations are investing in upskilling and reskilling their employees. Furthermore, one in five organisations is employing more temporary or flexible workers. These figures show how organisations are adapting their staffing strategies to the current availability of talent.
André Secrest, Managing Director at ManpowerGroup Netherlands: Despite a slight decrease in overall shortages, tension continues to rise in specific sectors and for highly sought-after skills. This calls for a personnel strategy in which retaining talent is just as important as recruitment. The new generation of employees also values flexibility, job satisfaction, development and an employer who invests in them. Looking ahead is therefore important. Employers who invest in training opportunities, a balanced workload and a culture in which employees experience perspective are building a strong foundation. This movement is further reinforced by upcoming legislation on flexible staffing. These regulations require organisations to think more consciously about which skills are needed and to seek them out without primarily looking at contract type. Contract neutrality helps organisations remain agile in the new labour market. Those who adopt this approach in good time will create a personnel strategy that is future-proof and better able to respond to changing labour market dynamics.
With these insights, ManpowerGroup provides a detailed picture of the labour market and expectations for the coming quarter. Find out more in the new MEOS report for the first quarter of 2026.
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About MEOS and ETTO
The ManpowerGroup Employment Outlook Survey (MEOS) is a comprehensive survey that measures the hiring intentions of employers worldwide. It provides a preview of labour market trends by asking employers whether they plan to increase or decrease their workforce in the coming quarter. The Experis Tech Talent Outlook (ETTO) is a comprehensive report that provides insight into the labour market for IT talent.
Het onderzoek wordt sinds 1962 uitgevoerd en wordt beschouwd als een betrouwbare indicator van arbeidsmarkttrends. De resultaten helpen bedrijven en werknemers inzicht te krijgen in de verwachte ontwikkelingen op de arbeidsmarkt.
Source ManpowerGroup
Karlijn Meijer
+31 (0)6 34 63 57 63
karlijn.meijer@manpowergroup.nl
About ManpowerGroup
ManpowerGroup® is the global leader in finding, developing and retaining talent. Through its brands Manpower, Experis and Talent Solutions, the HR service provider offers complete HR solutions in more than 70 countries. Every year, ManpowerGroup connects millions of people with meaningful work. Whether it’s temporary or permanent positions, in a wide range of sectors and fields, ManpowerGroup helps organisations and candidates achieve lasting success in a rapidly changing labour market.
For more information, visit www.manpowergroup.nl or follow us on LinkedIn.
