Netherlands advanced: Building a future labor market that works

From the article:

"For many years, the Netherlands has enjoyed a robust economy and strong workforce. With a vast active workforce of 9.6 million people (out of a population of 17.6 million), the country has one of the highest employment rates and workforce productivity rates in the European Union. Globally, it ranks fifth for competitiveness, sixth for happiness, ninth for social progress, and tenth on the UN Human Development Index.

However, ongoing trends are putting pressure on the labor market and could hamper the country’s ability to reach its social and economic goals. Most notably, an aging population due to low birth rates and declining productivity growth are causing tightness in the labor market. Meanwhile, increasing inequality in terms of income and labor conditions, signs of declining quality in education, and increasing prevalence of mental and physical health issues put further pressure on the market.

This report builds on numerous publications to provide an outlook on the implications of these trends for the Dutch labor market. It adds a granular forecast for 2030 and shows that to realize a 2030 labor market that works for the future of the Netherlands, two levers are essential: increasing productivity by investing in technological innovation, and realizing a “train of job transitions” through reskilling and upward development to move people to the (higher-productivity) jobs demanded. Last, it proposes priorities for an orchestrated action plan for three critical shortage areas to get the train moving."