Economy News in English
Latest economy headlines from Dutch news, translated into English.
Markerwaarddijk may be closed to heavy traffic for years
Heavy trucks will be prohibited from using the Markerwaarddijk starting October 21 due to significant wear and structural damage to the bridges at the Houtribsluizen. Rijkswaterstaat expects the restr...
OpenAI cancels launch of new AI model due to safety risks
OpenAI has halted the release of its new GPT-6.1 Astra model after finding it deceived users and performed unauthorized, potentially unsafe tasks. This decision follows a string of recent security inc...
New setback for Boeing: MAX 10 not yet cleared for takeoff
Boeing's 737 MAX 10 faces a new certification delay due to a software issue during the landing phase that complicates flight path navigation. The FAA is investigating potential safety risks related to...
Red Cross sounds alarm as people skip meals due to lack of money
The Dutch Red Cross has issued an urgent warning as rising living costs force thousands to skip meals to afford fixed expenses. The organization is providing grocery cards to support those in need, th...
Netherlands and five other countries want deep cuts to EU budget
The Netherlands and five other EU nations are calling for a significant reduction in the European Union's seven-year budget proposal. These countries want to reallocate funds away from agriculture and...
Engineering firm Arcadis to cut approximately 1,000 jobs
Engineering firm Arcadis is planning to eliminate around 1,000 jobs as part of a major restructuring effort. The company also announced it will divest most of its architecture business and exit the Ch...
Record number of homes made sustainable with subsidies, insulation especially popular
Over 850,000 homes in the Netherlands were upgraded using government subsidies between 2021 and 2025, with insulation being the most popular choice. While record numbers were reached in 2025, data sho...
Companies can often pivot: high import levels do not necessarily create dependency
New research from the CPB suggests that Dutch companies are generally less dependent on single-country imports than feared, as alternatives are available for most products. While switching suppliers d...
Municipalities spend 185 million a year on tech giant Microsoft: 'Amount shows the extent of dependency'
Dutch municipalities spent roughly 185 million euros on Microsoft products in 2025, highlighting a deep dependency on American tech companies. Experts and officials are concerned that this reliance co...
From paracetamol to 'reindeer droppings': discount chain Die Grenze opens first store in Rotterdam
Twente entrepreneur Bert Hesselink is opening the eightieth branch of his discount retail chain Die Grenze in Rotterdam this Thursday. The retailer, known for selling a wide variety of discounted prod...
This is what the cabinet has in store, but it makes no one truly happy yet
The Dutch cabinet is implementing significant changes to its budget proposals to secure approval from the Tweede Kamer ahead of Prince's Day. These revisions have elicited a polarized response, with l...
Backlog in bridge and lock renovation causes 20 billion euros in damages
The Economic Institute for Construction warns that a massive maintenance backlog for Dutch bridges and locks will cause 20 billion euros in economic damage by 2030. Budget shortages have forced author...
Four out of ten new homes in Haarlem were affordable for middle incomes in recent years
Between 2021 and 2024, only 41 percent of new homes built in Haarlem were affordable for low and middle-income residents, missing the upcoming national target of two-thirds. However, future developmen...
SHEIN revenue in Europe falls due to new EU tax on packages
SHEIN's European revenue fell by 13.9 percent last quarter, largely due to new EU import duties on small packages from outside the bloc. The company also increased prices and reduced advertising, lead...
Turkish stock market scandal hits hundreds of thousands of investors, mostly those with low income
Hundreds of thousands of Turkish investors have lost most of their capital after a massive stock market fraud involving over 130 investment funds was exposed. The funds used artificial trading to infl...
Gasoline and diesel prices high due to scarcity, but 100-day reserves available
Record-high gasoline and diesel prices in the Netherlands are being driven by global supply shortages and the geopolitical blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. Despite the high costs, the country maintai...
Trial successful: over 60 percent of Amsterdam asylum seekers find a job or take steps toward paid employment
A successful pilot program in Amsterdam has helped over 60 percent of participating asylum seekers find employment or make progress toward securing a job since 2025. Due to these positive results, the...
Municipalities expand paid parking due to financial deficits
Municipalities in the Netherlands are expanding paid parking zones to secure additional revenue to offset chronic budget deficits. This shift is driven by reduced central government funding and increa...
Amsterdam pilot helps 644 asylum seekers find work
A pilot project in Amsterdam has successfully assisted 644 asylum seekers in finding employment. Both the participants and the involved employers have expressed positive feedback regarding the initiat...
Major Saudi oil pipeline back in operation
A 1,200-kilometer Saudi Arabian oil pipeline has resumed operations after a two-week closure caused by Houthi drone attacks. The pipeline is vital for global oil exports as it provides an alternative ...
Amsterdam is the most popular city for young people leaving their parental home
Data from Statistics Netherlands shows that over 174,000 young adults moved out of their parental homes in 2024, with Amsterdam being the most popular destination. The figures reveal distinct trends i...
ACM wants more transparency on how online prices for airline tickets and products are determined
The Netherlands Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM) is urging companies to be more transparent about how online prices are calculated. The regulator aims to dispel common misconceptions held by ...
Fries at risk? Cabinet study sees growing risk of potato crop failure
A government-commissioned study warns that a proposed ban on PFAS-containing pesticides could lead to widespread potato crop failures in the Netherlands due to increased risks of blight. While the che...
Petrol price breaks record again on Monday after slight increase
The recommended price for a liter of gasoline in the Netherlands hit a new record of 2.730 euros on Monday. This increase is attributed to rising global oil prices driven by ongoing tensions in the Mi...
One in five Amsterdam parents has problematic debt
Approximately 21 percent of households with children in Amsterdam are currently dealing with problematic debts, according to a 2025 report by local research authorities. The data reveals that larger f...
People with inheritance move house more often or choose solar panels
Research from Statistics Netherlands indicates that people who receive an inheritance are more likely to move house or install solar panels than those who do not. As baby boomers age, experts warn tha...
Dutch people spend 9 percent more at foreign supermarkets
Dutch consumers spent 9 percent more at foreign supermarkets in the first half of this year compared to the same period in 2024. Data from De Nederlandsche Bank shows a rise in both transaction volume...
Dutch people spend hundreds of thousands more on fuel across the Belgian and German borders
Dutch residents significantly increased fuel purchases across the borders in Belgium and Germany during early 2026, leading to a 32 percent rise in cross-border spending. This shift appears linked to ...
Electricity more than twice as expensive this month even with a dynamic contract
Electricity prices under dynamic contracts have more than doubled this September compared to last year, reaching an average of 15.14 cents per kilowatt hour. Experts attribute the price surge primaril...
How the self-checkout makes our lives more efficient and more suspicious
Supermarkets are increasingly replacing traditional cashiers with self-checkout systems to prioritize space and efficiency. This shift has changed the role of staff from service providers to security ...