van der Graaf, Amber

Agreement reached on a new national pension system after nine years of debate and a new package of laws to make the labour market more dynamic are the main topics of interest in this article. This country update reports on the latest developments in working life in the Netherlands in the second quarter of 2019.

Paternity leave for fathers, uncertainty around the National Climate Accord and ongoing discussions relating to pension reforms are the main topics of interest in this article. This country update reports on the latest developments in working life in the Netherlands in the first quarter of 2019.

Moves to make the Dutch labour market more balanced and new efforts to encourage people with disabilities to enter the workplace are the main topics of interest in this article. This country update reports on the latest developments in working life in the Netherlands in the fourth quarter of 2018.

A new law on extending parental leave for partners, new measures to better support people with disabilities who wish to study or work, and a series of strikes over working conditions are the main topics of interest in this article. This country update reports on the latest developments in working life in the Netherlands in the third quarter of 2018.

New policies to improve work–life balance and a rise in permanent contracts are the main topics of interest in this article. This country update reports on the latest developments in working life in the Netherlands in the second quarter of 2018.

New proposals for workers with disabilities, possible changes to rules on dismissals, and reform of the supplementary pension system are the main topics of interest in this article. This country update reports on the latest developments in working life in the Netherlands in the first quarter of 2018.

Eurofound has conducted the European Quality of Life Survey EQLS) in 2003, 2007 and 2011. This report compares the results from the three waves to provide evidence of trends and change in the quality of life of Europeans over a decade. It also examines whether differences across EU Member States have narrowed or remained stable. One of its findings is that subjective well-being has remained stable across the EU as whole, but it also finds that financial strain in households has grown in the wake of the economic crisis. The report proposes a more active approach to social protection, as lower household income is a strong negative influence on quality of life, and especially so in an economic downturn. An executive summary is also available.

As Europe’s population ages, the number of adults needing long-term care is increasing. There are, however, persistent labour shortages in the health and social care sector; well-qualified staff are particularly lacking. At a time when unemployment across much of Europe is high, this study considers how this pool of surplus labour might be used to solve the care sector’s labour shortage, and how people might be encouraged to work long term in a sector that has consistently high levels of staff turnover. The study examines a total of 30 case studies across 10 EU Member States, analysing initiatives that were successful in either creating more jobs in the sector, or improving the quality of its jobs, with the dual aim of attracting new recruits and retaining existing staff.

This country report gives an overview of the labour market policy in community-based care for adults with disabilities in the Netherlands. The main topics discussed are the context in which community care labour market instruments are implemented, the funding structure, the strategies used to recruit new employees and retain current workers in the sector and the resulting impacts and outcomes. Three case studies (see Annex 1) were carried out into initiatives in the field of labour market policies in community-based care to support adults with disabilities: Neighbourhood Training Company, Visible Link and Netherlands Neighbourhood Care.