The Dutch Central Bank has published an analysis showing that job mobility in the Netherlands is not only a movement between employers but also a major source of labour reallocation across sectors. Based on CBS microdata for 2011 to 2025, the study finds that around one in six employees changes employer each year, and 57% of workers who move directly from one job to another also move to a different sector. Overall job mobility moves with the business cycle but shows no clear upward or downward trend over the past 15 years. The analysis highlights wide differences across sectors and worker groups. Intersectoral mobility is highest in relatively small sectors such as mining and quarrying and energy and waste, where about 80% of job movers leave the sector, and is also relatively high in culture and recreation, facility services and agriculture. By contrast, around three quarters of workers changing jobs in health care and financial services stay within the same sector. The temporary agency sector and trade stand out as common transfer points into other sectors, especially for workers on flexible contracts, while employees leaving government and education relatively often move into health and welfare.
De Nederlandsche Bank2026-05-28
Dutch Central Bank analysis finds 57% of workers changing jobs in the Netherlands also switch sectors
De Nederlandsche Bank published an analysis showing that job mobility in the Netherlands is a key channel for labour reallocation across sectors, with around one in six employees changing employer annually and 57% of job-to-job movers also switching sector. Intersectoral mobility is highest in smaller sectors such as mining and quarrying and energy and waste, while most job movers in health care and financial services remain in-sector, and temporary agency work and trade act as transfer points into other sectors.