3 min read

More than 2.3 million job openings are expected in the Netherlands between 2025 and 2030. While that figure may suggest a growing labor market, the latest forecast from the Research Centre for Education and the Labour Market (ROA) paints a more nuanced picture. Around 91 percent of these openings are expected to result from replacement demand as people retire or leave the workforce, while only a small share will come from employment growth.  

For Public Employment Services (PES), these findings highlight the importance of understanding long-term labor market trends. The report also projects continued recruitment challenges in sectors such as healthcare, engineering, and education, even as economic and employment growth slow.  

From labor market data to labor market intelligence 

Current vacancy data provides valuable insight into employers’ immediate hiring needs, but it offers only a snapshot of the labor market. Labor market forecasting provides a broader perspective by combining demographic trends, educational attainment, economic projections, and occupational mobility to estimate how labor demand and supply may develop over the coming years. ROA uses this approach to identify future workforce pressures across occupations and education levels.  

This type of intelligence supports better decision-making across the employment ecosystem. Career advisors can help jobseekers explore occupations with strong long-term prospects. Policymakers can align education and workforce development programs with future demand. Employers gain earlier visibility into emerging recruitment challenges, allowing them to plan ahead instead of reacting when talent shortages become more severe. 

This approach also reflects a broader international trend. The OECD has emphasized the growing role of labor market intelligence in helping governments respond to aging populations, shifting occupational demand, and increasing reskilling needs. Reliable forecasts enable employment services to make more informed investments in workforce development while supporting a more resilient labor market. 

Supporting career mobility through skills 

The ROA forecast also highlights the growing importance of career mobility. Workers are changing occupations more frequently than in previous decades, making transferable skills and continuous learning increasingly valuable. The report encourages a broader view of the labor market by recognizing the connections between occupations, educational pathways, and career transitions.  

Access to reliable labor market information also leads to better outcomes for individuals. Research cited in the report shows that students make more informed education choices when they understand future employment prospects. It also finds that unemployed individuals return to work more quickly when they receive information about opportunities in related occupations instead of limiting their search to their previous job.  

For Public Employment Services, these insights reinforce the value of skills-based career guidance. Identifying adjacent occupations and transferable skills expands opportunities for jobseekers while helping employers reach a broader pool of qualified talent. 

Turning insights into action 

ROA emphasizes that labor market forecasts are intended to support strategic decision-making rather than predict exact labor shortages. Labor markets continuously adjust through education, workforce mobility, changing recruitment strategies, and economic developments, making forecasts most valuable when they inform long-term planning.  

Turning labor market intelligence into meaningful outcomes requires more than forecasting alone. Public Employment Services also need tools that connect labor market insights with the skills and potential of individual jobseekers. WorkNetix supports this approach by combining labor market intelligence with AI-powered skills matching to identify transferable skills, recommend relevant career pathways, and connect people with opportunities that align with both current hiring needs and future workforce demand.  

By translating labor market insights into personalized guidance, Public Employment Services can help jobseekers make informed career decisions while supporting employers with a workforce prepared for the future.