28 Feb 2024 at 00:00
The use of more migrant workers will not solve the major staff shortage in our country. Allowing part-timers to work more hours also has little effect. This is written by the Central Planning Bureau, one of the most important economic institutes in the country.
The Netherlands has had a very tight labor market for several years, with more vacancies than job seekers. Almost all industries have difficulty finding suitable employees.
Various options have been mentioned in recent years to solve the shortages. This includes retraining, deploying more migrant workers, enticing part-time workers to work more hours and encouraging the unemployed to get back to work.
But according to Pieter Hasekamp, director of the Central Planning Bureau (CPB), none of those options is a solution. For example, migrants cannot work in all sectors due to the language barrier. The additional migrants would also spend more money in our country, increasing the demand for goods and services. And that in turn means that extra staff is needed.
Many Dutch people already have a job
Another popular solution is to ensure that more unemployed people get to work. But the CPB points out that nowhere in the world do so many people have a job as in the Netherlands. That would therefore contribute little to a solution.
It will also make little difference to entice part-timers to work more. Although you can make it more financially attractive, money plays a limited role for many part-timers, says Hasekamp.
Retraining also offers little relief, because due to the tight labor market, the workload is high at many companies and there is therefore no time for training. Moreover, there are hardly any sectors with a surplus of people.
Government can make the difference
What does help? According to the CPB director, there is an important role for the government, which must make clear choices. In this way, she can increase wages for teachers and healthcare workers, so that work in those sectors becomes more attractive.
But the government can also spend less money to reduce the demand for goods and services. This will cool down the economy somewhat and make more people available for other sectors, such as construction, healthcare and education.
Furthermore, according to the CPB, it would help if politicians made the laws and regulations less complex. This means that fewer staff are needed at government services, such as the Tax Authorities.
Image: ANP
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Economy
2024-02-27 23:00:22
#Parttimers #migrant #workers #solve #staff #shortages #Economy
