Hospitality and construction lead the growth, AI adjusts the rules of the game
Amsterdam, march 10 2026 – In the second quarter of 2026, the Dutch labour market will show positive employment growth: around four in ten employers (37%) expect to hire more staff. This puts the Netherlands six percentage points above the world average and ranks tenth worldwide in terms of labour market prospects. In Europe, the Netherlands is in second position, only Sweden does better with 39 percent. This appears from the ManpowerGroup Employment Outlook Survey (MEOS), a survey by ManpowerGroup in 42 countries among 41,764 employers, of which more than 600 in the Netherlands.
Divergent outlook per sector
Employers in different sectors expect different workforce growth rates in the coming quarter. These are the main conclusions:
- Hospitality: The hospitality sector takes the cake, with 64 percent of employers expecting to expand their workforce. This is an increase of no less than 53 percentage points compared to the first quarter. No employer within the sector expects decline.
- Construction & real estate: Employment expectations are also high in the construction and real estate sector, with 59 percent of employers expecting an expansion. This is an increase of four percentage points compared to the previous quarter. More than half of employers (56%) cite organizational growth as the main explanation.
- Financial services & insurance: The sector is under pressure, with only 18 percent of employers expecting expansion. This is a solid decrease of 18 percentage points compared to the previous quarter. The main cause: automation. 37 percent of employers cite this as a reason for hiring fewer staff, which reduces the demand for certain positions.
AI widely embraced, obstacles not yet overcome
The decline in financial services illustrates how technology is reshaping the labor market. AI is widely used: 61 percent of companies use it for hiring, onboarding and training. This does not go without a struggle: no less than 93 percent of workers experience obstacles when using AI, with privacy and regulation cited as the biggest stumbling blocks (19%). At the same time, employers are optimistic about what AI can do: they expect it to strengthen skills in the areas of ideas and creativity (70%), problem-solving (69%) and training (67%) in the next twelve months.
André Secrest, Managing Director at ManpowerGroup Netherlands: “As a small economy, the Netherlands is proving great resilience in the global labour market. That growth does not come naturally. Companies are actively investing in their people, and AI is playing an increasingly important role in this. What strikes me is that AI is expected to strengthen human skills: creativity and ideas, problem-solving skills and training. That is a tipping point. For a long time, it was assumed that technology would mainly take over repetitive and administrative tasks. Now we see that AI is focusing on more complex tasks. And that’s good news, because it means that employees are supported at a tactical level in what they do best. AI is the cape, humans remain the hero.”
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About the ManpowerGroup Employment Outlook Survey
The ManpowerGroup Employment Outlook Survey (MEOS) is a comprehensive survey that measures the hiring intentions of employers worldwide. It provides a preview of labor market trends by asking employers whether they plan to increase or decrease their workforce in the upcoming quarter.
The survey has been conducted since 1962 and is considered a reliable indicator of labour market trends. The results help companies and employees to gain insight into the expected developments in the labour market.
The survey data was collected in the period from 1 January to 3 February 2026.
Source ManpowerGroup
Karlijn Meijer
+31 (0)6 34 63 57 63
karlijn.meijer@manpowergroup.nl
Over ManpowerGroup
ManpowerGroup® is the global leader in finding, developing and retaining talent. From the brands Manpower, Experis and Talent Solutions, the HR service company offers complete HR solutions in more than 70 countries. Every year, ManpowerGroup connects millions of people with meaningful work. Whether temporary or permanent positions, in a wide range of sectors and fields, ManpowerGroup helps organizations and candidates to continue to succeed in a rapidly changing labor market.
For more information, visit www.manpowergroup.nl or follow us on LinkedIn.
