Employees see slight gain as wages rise faster than prices

According to data from the national statistics agency CBS, wages for employees in the Netherlands are currently growing faster than inflation. While wage increases have moderated from the peak of nearly 7 percent seen in 2024 to an average of around 4 percent this quarter, they still outpace the rising costs of goods and services. When adjusted for inflation, real contractual wages have risen by 0.8 percent, marking twelve consecutive quarters of growth for Dutch workers.

There is notable consistency across major sectors, with private companies, government, healthcare, and education all seeing increases near 4 percent. However, industry-specific variations remain significant. The construction and financial sectors experienced the strongest wage growth at 5 percent, while the hospitality sector saw the smallest increase at 2.9 percent. These figures for the third quarter are currently based on preliminary data, as final inflation statistics for September are still pending.