De Nederlandsche Bank finds solo self-employment decline is driving labor mobility with little rise in unemployment

De Nederlandsche Bank has published an analysis showing that the Netherlands’ first decline in solo self-employment in more than 20 years has largely resulted in workers moving to other jobs rather than becoming unemployed. By mid-2026, the number of people whose main job was solo self-employment had fallen by about 131,000 from its peak of nearly 1.3 million at the end of 2024. More than half of those leaving solo self-employment found paid work within one quarter, while only 7% became unemployed, broadly in line with previous years. About one-third moved into permanent employment or jobs offering the prospect of a permanent contract, and a similar proportion entered flexible work. Nearly half of those finding other work changed sectors, with health and social care, government and education, and trade, transport and hospitality among the more common destinations. Almost 40% were recorded in a different occupational group one quarter later, although registration differences may account for some of these changes. The decline coincided with the resumption of active tax authority enforcement against false self-employment from Jan. 1, 2025, but the data do not establish whether stricter enforcement was the main cause. Relatively high movement between self-employment and employee status occurred in sectors where false self-employment is frequently debated, including health care, construction, facilities services and business services. The analysis does not assess how workers’ income, productivity or employment conditions changed after their transitions.