According to the latest ManpowerGroup Talent Shortage survey of 39,000 employers in 41 countries, 73% of employers in the Netherlands report difficulty filling vacancies. The demand for engineering remains as high as ever, but AI skills transcend both Engineering and traditional IT skills.Volgens het laatste ManpowerGroup Talent Shortage onderzoek onder 39.000 werkgevers in 41 landen meldt 73% van de werkgevers in Nederland moeite met het vervullen van vacatures. De vraag naar engineering blijft onverminderd hoog, maar AI-skills overstijgen zowel Engineering als traditionele IT‑vaardigheden.
AMSTERDAM, 2 March 2026 – Artificial Intelligence (AI) skills are rapidly replacing traditional IT competencies. This historic shift marks a new phase in the ongoing talent scarcity. According to ManpowerGroup’s Talent Shortage Survey 2026 published today, 73% of Dutch employers are experiencing difficulty filling vacancies, a slight decrease from 76% last year.
“The rise of AI skills shows how quickly the talent landscape is changing,” said Andre Secrest, Managing Director of ManpowerGroup Netherlands. “Companies are responding by upskilling their employees and offering more flexibility. Increasingly, selection is based on potential, while organizations are broadly developing AI skills so that people can apply new technology with more insight and confidence. AI is changing the way we work. Companies that use technology for productivity growth and career development are best positioned to grow in a world where talent remains scarce.”
The results show that the recent relief in the general labor market tightness is overshadowed by fierce competition for engineering and AI talent.De resultaten laten zien dat de recente verlichting in de algemene krapte op de arbeidsmarkt wordt overschaduwd door hevige concurrentie om engineering‑ en AI‑talent.
KEY FINDINGS
AI creates a new hierarchy in technical skills
Engineering remains at the top (28%), but AI Model & Application Development (19%) is now the second hardest-to-find skill, followed by traditional IT and data skills (17%). AI literacy (16%) is catching up quickly. Collectively, these AI competencies shift the center of gravity of strategic workforce investments toward AI-driven roles, accounting for a 7 percentage point shift at the expense of engineering.
The human factor more valuable than ever
Despite the growing demand for AI, human skills remain indispensable. The most sought-after competencies are Professionalism & Work Ethics (42%), Communication, Collaboration & Teamwork (39%) and Critical Thinking & Problem-Solving (30%). This underlines that interpersonal skills remain essential.
Geography determines shortages
The pressure to find talent is felt everywhere, but varies greatly from region to region. The south of the Netherlands experiences the greatest shortages (77%), while the east of the Netherlands has the least shortage (66%). This shows that local conditions strongly influence the competition for talent.
De druk om talent te vinden is overal voelbaar, maar varieert sterk per regio. Zuid-Nederland ervaart de grootste tekorten (77%), terwijl Oost-Nederland de minste krapte (66%) kent. Dit laat zien dat lokale omstandigheden de concurrentiestrijd om talent stevig beïnvloeden.
Shortages in all sectors
The Professional, Scientific & Technical Services sector has the highest shortage (85%). But essential sectors, such as the Public Domain, Healthcare & Social Services (80%), also face similar challenges. The shortage is also great in Information Services (80%), Construction & Real Estate (76%) and Production (75%). This points to broad constraints on economic growth and service delivery.
Employer response: Invest, adapt and compete
No less than 94% of employers use a mix of strategies. The most important are focused on internal development and flexibility: reskilling and upskilling (36%) is at the top, followed by offering more flexibility in schedules (20%). To compete externally, employers are raising wages (19%) and tapping into new talent pools (18%).
Company size makes little difference
In the Netherlands, the effect of organizational size on recruitment success is small. Large companies with between 1000 and 4999 employees report the highest shortage (75%). This is barely higher than the smallest companies (<10 employees at 74%).
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ABOUT THE RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
ManpowerGroup interviewed 39,063 employers in 41 countries: Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Czech Republic, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Guatemala, Hong Kong, Hungary, India, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Norway, Panama, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Romania, Singapore, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Netherlands, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom and United States. The fieldwork took place between 1 and 31 October 2025.
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.
