Recruitment statistics: the Dutch figures (2026)

The Dutch recruitment market in four figures: at the end of 2025 there were 380,000 open vacancies, at 93 vacancies per 100 unemployed people (CBS, 2026); automation can give recruiters back up to 17 hours per week (Bullhorn GRID, 2025); and Dutch organisations have on average automated 39 percent of their recruitment process (recruitmenttraining.pro, 2025). On this page we gather the most cited figures, each with its source and year — for use in your own plans and presentations.

How tight is the Dutch labour market now?

At the end of the fourth quarter of 2025 there were 380,000 open vacancies and 93 vacancies per 100 unemployed people; unemployment stood at 4.0 percent (410,000 people) (CBS, 2026). The labour market is therefore slightly less tight than in the peak years, but still historically strained: averaged across 2025 there were 98 vacancies for every 100 unemployed people (CBS, De arbeidsmarkt in cijfers 2025).

For agencies this means: demand is normalising slightly, but candidates keep their choice. The temporary staffing sector grew by 5,000 jobs in the fourth quarter of 2025 (CBS, 2026) — a cautious recovery after a period of contraction. In such a market the game shifts from 'winning vacancies' to speed and candidate experience: whoever runs a good process first, places.

The core figures at a glance

The table below gathers the most cited figures about the Dutch recruitment market and its automation, each with its source and year. Use them as a reference point alongside your own recruitment KPIs.

How far along is recruitment with automation?

Dutch organisations have on average automated 39 percent of their recruitment process and want to grow towards half (recruitmenttraining.pro, 2025). The upper bound of what that delivers is substantial: Bullhorn puts it at up to 17 hours per recruiter per week in time saved through AI and automation tools, mainly on sourcing and matching, screening and admin (GRID, 2025).

The reality at agencies: the gain rarely lies in more software, but in the connections between existing systems — intake and CV parsing, status communication, multiposting and the flow from placement to invoicing. Which step to automate first and why is set out in the recruitment automation playbook.

The ATS market in the Netherlands

The Dutch market counts 45 ATS vendors, roughly split across systems for corporate recruitment and systems for agencies and temporary staffing firms (recruitmenttraining.pro, 2026). Implementations take three to six months on average; professionally guided projects cost an indicative €10,000 to €50,000 or more, on top of the licences (recruitmenttraining.pro, 2026).

Those figures explain why 'just get a new ATS' is rarely the answer to manual work: an integration on the existing system is usually faster and cheaper than switching. The decision framework is set out in Implementing or switching an ATS; you can narrow down to your own situation with the free ATS selection tool.

How to use these figures

Market figures are context, not a goal. The CBS series tell you how the playing field is moving; the Bullhorn and automation figures give an indication of what there is to gain at your organisation. The translation to practice differs per agency and starts with measuring: first get your own time-to-fill, conversions and margin in order — see Recruitment KPIs — and only then compare.

We keep this page up to date when new figures appear; the sources with their year sit next to each figure, so you can check and cite them yourself.

Further reading

• Recruitment KPIs: which figures should an agency steer on?
• Automating recruitment: the playbook for agencies (2026)
• Implementing or switching an ATS: the vendor-neutral guide
• Automation in SMBs: the numbers
• IT & automation for recruitment agencies

Frequently asked questions

Written by Hugo Eleveld · Updated June 2026. This article is informative; for tailored advice book an intro call.