The defense sector becomes the largest employer in the Netherlands, surpassing the police sector.
The defense has surpassed the police to become the largest employer in the Netherlands, driven by rapid expansion following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, according to research by the newspaper de Volkskrant. By the end of last year, the armed forces employed 74,333 full-time positions, an increase of nearly 20% compared to five years ago. In contrast, the number of police employees rose by 5.5% to reach 64,618 full-time positions.
A spokesperson for the Ministry of Defense highlighted the importance of this growth: "The armed forces face the task of rapidly strengthening themselves. It is positive to see a great interest in defense jobs." This increase reflects ongoing efforts to enhance national security amid geopolitical challenges.
Among private sector employers, Ahold Delhaize remains the largest, with about 97,000 employees in the Netherlands, equivalent to 38,000 full-time jobs. Other major employers include the Ministry of Justice and Security with around 37,000 full-time jobs and Rabobank with about 31,000 jobs, although the latter has seen a decline of nearly 25% over five years. Employment at ING and ABN Amro banks has remained stable recently due to hiring for anti-money laundering efforts, despite ABN Amro announcing a reduction of 5,200 jobs. The pension management company APG will also reduce its workforce by 1,000 jobs partly due to automation using artificial intelligence.
Employment in the civil service has grown significantly, rising from over 125,000 full-time jobs in 2020 to over 157,000 jobs last year. Major government agencies include the Tax and Customs Administration with over 28,000 jobs, UWV with around 20,000, and the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management with over 16,000 jobs. In contrast, industrial employment continued to shrink, with companies like VDL, Philips, and Tata Steel having fewer than 10,000 full-time employees each. Meanwhile, the retail and labor-intensive service sectors remain strong, with A.S. Watson employing over 16,000 full-time jobs and Total Care of CSU in Uden employing over 22,000.
ASML stands out as the fastest-growing employer in the Netherlands, with over 21,000 full-time jobs, a 76% increase over five years. It is followed by Action, a low-cost retail company, which saw an increase of more than a third to reach 13,401 full-time jobs. These trends highlight the shift in employment towards defense, technology, and service sectors, while the traditional industrial sector is shrinking.