SDG 8.2 Labour and leisure time

The second part of SDG 8 relates to the aim of giving everyone who wants to work the opportunity to do so, under good conditions and with enough free time. Work is important: it generates income, contributes to active participation in society and gives people self-esteem.

• There are many opportunities to participate in the labour market and these are growing.
• The current labour shortages are associated with low unemployment, a decrease in unused labour potential and less job insecurity.
• Real hourly wages are among the highest in the EU but have not increased since 2009.
• A growing number of people in employment are mentally fatigued as a result of their work, yet ever fewer workers are dissatisfied with their work-life balance. 

Dashboard and indicators

Colour codes and notes to the dashboards in the Monitor of Well-being

The second part of SDG 8 focuses on achieving decent work and good working conditions for everyone, particularly those in vulnerable groups. For many people, finding and keeping a job is a major challenge, and they often struggle to earn enough money to make ends meet. Good working conditions, relevant and interesting work, and a good work-life balance are also important. The figures in this dashboard relate to paid work. Unpaid work, such as informal care and housework, is not included.

Resources and opportunities refers to opportunities for participating in the labour market and the number of jobs available. Demand for labour is high and growing: all indicators show an upward trend, and the Netherlands tops the EU rankings for three out of the four indicators. However, the figures for the most recent years (from 2022 onwards) point to stabilisation rather than further improvement.

The vacancy rate has risen sharply over the past decade. At the end of 2024, there were 42 vacancies for every 1,000 jobs. While the vacancy rate was 2.3 percent lower than in 2023, it remained high, also compared to other EU countries. More vacancies are positive from a job seeker’s perspective, because they increase the chances of finding a suitable and well-paid job. However, the high vacancy rate also indicates staff shortages. This can result in higher workloads for employees and make it more difficult for entrepreneurs to maintain business operations.

The current labour shortages are accompanied by low unemployment. Unemployment and long-term unemployment are low compared to other EU countries, and have fallen sharply over the past decade. In 2024, 3.7 percent of the labour force was unemployed and 0.5 percent had been unemployed for a year or more.

Unused labour potential has also declined over the past decade. This includes the unemployed (people without paid work who are looking for work and available for employment) and semi-unemployed (people not in work who are looking for work or available for employment), as well as part-timers who want to work more and are available at short notice. In 2024, 11.2 percent of all employed or (semi-)unemployed 15 to 74-year-olds were not working to their full potential.

Use refers to labour market participation. Net labour participation is trending upwards. In 2024, 73.2 percent of all 15 to 74-year-olds were in employment, and in 2023 the Netherlands had the highest net labour participation in the EU. The average worker worked 27.7 hours per week in 2024. This is the total number of hours actually worked by those in employment; hours not worked due to leave and sickness are not included. The number of hours worked is partly determined by the number of working days in a year. Compared to other EU countries, the number of weekly working hours per worker in the Netherlands has long been very low. The number of weekly working hours has been stable for a decade or so, however, while other countries have seen declines. Because net labour participation in the Netherlands is relatively high, the total number of hours worked per inhabitant is slightly higher than average compared to other EU countries.

Outcomes refers to proceeds from work, working conditions and occupational safety. The outcomes point to stable well-being, at best. Dutch workers’ real hourly wages are among the highest in the EU: in 2021 prices, workers earned an average of 28.8 euros per hour worked in 2023. Real hourly wages have not increased since 2009, except for a brief spike during the pandemic. In 2009, the real hourly wage was 29.8 euros per hour worked. Hourly wages are also stable in other EU countries, although there have been particularly pronounced increases in Ireland and Eastern Europe.

The Netherlands has the highest percentage of workers in flexible employment in the EU. In 2024, 32.8 percent of workers had temporary employment contracts or worked a flexible number of hours per week. This figure is currently trending downwards after peaking at 37.1 percent in 2017. While a degree of labour market flexibility benefits entrepreneurs, it also has a negative effect on the well-being of workers. This is because a flexible employment relationship offers less livelihood security. Job and income security can influence the decisions that people make, for instance when it comes to buying a house or having children.

An increasing proportion of people in employment are mentally fatigued as a result of their work. In 2024, 19.3 percent of employed people (aged 15 to 74) reported experiencing work-related mental fatigue at least several times a month. When these measurements started in 2015, this was only 12.8 percent. This figure does not include persons employed solely or mainly as family workers, or other self-employed workers such as freelancers.

Workplace safety continues to improve. In 2022, there were 1,209 non-fatal work-related accidents per 100,000 workers, and this number is declining.

Subjective assessment refers to whether people are satisfied with their work and leisure time, and whether they are worried about losing their job. In 2024, almost 80 percent of people in employment said they were either satisfied or very satisfied with their work. This is high compared to other EU countries, although the data used for this comparison are not very current (2017). Satisfaction with leisure time is stable (at around 75 percent) but high compared to the rest of the EU. The proportion of employed people who are dissatisfied with their work-life balance is shrinking. In 2024, 7.2 percent of employed people aged 15 to 74 were unhappy with their work-life balance.

An increasingly small number of workers are worried about losing their job. In 2024, only 11.8 percent of workers aged 15 to 74 were concerned about this, which is understandable given the current labour shortages. A growing proportion of employed people feel free to make their own decisions about how they do their work. In 2024, around two-thirds of people in employment aged 15 to 74 reported that they were able to make their own decisions regularly.