The Netherlands’ Invisible Workforce of 1.7 Million

It turns out the Netherlands has far more foreign workers than anyone realized. New research suggests there could be as many as 1.7 million people from abroad in the Dutch labor market, with about a million of them actively working. That’s a massive jump from previous official counts, which were anywhere from 220,000 to 700,000.

Why Earlier Counts Fell Short

Why the massive difference? It comes down to a tangled web of registration systems and loopholes that make it tough to get an accurate count. People arrive through different channels—some register and pay into social programs, others are highly skilled migrants with special permits, and many are sent by foreign companies.

The Dutch economy has come to depend heavily on this workforce, more than most people realize. Picture your day-to-day life: the package that arrives on time, the new building going up downtown, the app you use for work, or the nurse who cares for a family member. Many of these services run smoothly because of people who came here to work.

But there’s a serious problem. This reliance is built on a shaky system. For many of these workers, the reality is a constant struggle. They have a hard time finding a decent place to live, get caught in the traps of dishonest temp agencies, or don’t get paid what they’ve earned. It’s a situation that can’t hold.

Making the System Fair and Sustainable

Thankfully, lawmakers are finally starting to take a closer look. They’re demanding better oversight and pointing to significant problems, such as the misuse of the non-residents register (RNI). This loophole lets some employers make irregular work look official on paper, leaving people without the basic legal protections they should have.

With the new, much higher numbers of workers now public, the conversation has become more urgent. It’s no longer just about filling jobs. How can the Netherlands meet its economic needs while ensuring that every person who contributes has basic rights and a safe roof over their head?

Key advisory groups are pushing for a significant change. The Social and Economic Council (SER) puts it bluntly: “fewer where possible, better where necessary.” In simple terms, this means actually enforcing the rules we already have, creating simpler migration paths, and boosting protections for workers. We can expect to see proposals to fix the registration mess, set higher standards for migrant housing, crack down on bad-faith agencies, and create specific visas for high-demand jobs.

The end goal is to build a labor policy that benefits the economy without failing the very people who power it, whether they’re here for a few months or planning to stay for good.