Economy News in English
Latest economy headlines from Dutch news, translated into English.
Dutch automotive industry expects lower new car sales
The Dutch automotive sector expects a decline in new passenger car sales by 2027 due to shifting tax regulations and economic headwinds. While passenger car demand is cooling, sales of light commercia...
Student loan interest cap scheme fails, rates likely to rise even faster in coming years
The Dutch government has failed to implement a planned interest rate cap on student loans due to insufficient budget and rising global rates. Minister Rianne Letschert is now seeking alternative suppo...
Italy agrees to diesel measures following trucker blockades
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has introduced a package of tax credits and subsidies to help transport companies, farmers, and fishermen cope with soaring diesel prices. This decision followed ...
Nepal becomes first country ever to receive millions for climate disaster
Nepal has become the first country to receive financial support from a dedicated UN climate damage fund following catastrophic floods. While the 18 million euro commitment is a landmark test for the f...
PHP warns: Websites without updates remain vulnerable to attacks
PHP has released a critical security update for its programming language, urging all users to patch their systems immediately to prevent exploitation. While millions of attack attempts have been recor...
Without climate action, nearly all coral reefs risk disappearing
A new IUCN report warns that climate change could destroy 96 percent of the world's coral reefs by 2075 if current trends continue. Experts state that while reefs are currently under severe threat, re...
Spotify has more users but lower ad revenue than expected
Spotify saw revenue grow to 4.97 billion euros, missing expectations despite reaching 306 million paying subscribers. The company is now focusing on expanding audiobook availability, securing major po...
Amsterdam begins distributing emergency kits via the Food Bank
Amsterdam is launching a temporary emergency food parcel distribution program for low-income households in collaboration with the local food bank. The initiative aims to provide essential support to v...
Growth in number of female directors at listed companies stagnates
The growth of female executive board members at companies listed on the Amsterdam stock exchange has stalled, with current trends suggesting gender parity in these roles will not be reached until 2044...
Dutch Consumers Association warns against false promises by water filter sellers
The Dutch Consumers Association has warned against misleading advertisements for unnecessary home water filters that falsely promise to remove contaminants like lead and chlorine. Experts caution that...
Gaming Authority issues record fine to illegal gambling company
The Netherlands Gaming Authority has issued a record fine to EOD Code SRL for operating twelve unlicensed gambling websites that accepted Dutch players. The penalty was increased due to serious securi...
44 percent of board members are women, but company leadership remains primarily in male hands
While 44 percent of supervisory board members in Dutch listed companies are now women, executive boards remain heavily male-dominated with 55 out of 81 firms lacking any female leadership. Although th...
British bank Barclays to cut thousands of jobs due to AI
Barclays plans to cut thousands of jobs to reduce costs and increase efficiency through the use of artificial intelligence. The announcement follows disappointing third-quarter financial results, part...
Viaplay narrows losses and completes sale of Dutch division
Viaplay reported a sharp decrease in quarterly losses and has finalized the sale of its Dutch operations to DPG Media for 142 million euros. The acquisition, which includes key sports broadcasting rig...
Higher demand for electric cars due to high gasoline prices
High fuel prices are driving European consumers toward electric and hybrid vehicles, leading to a decline in traditional gasoline and diesel car sales. While Chinese manufacturers are reporting signif...
Airbnb puts an end to unreasonable cleaning fees for hosts
Airbnb is banning unreasonable checkout tasks like washing dishes or taking out the trash to address guest complaints about excessive cleaning demands. These new guidelines apply to all bookings made ...
House prices dip slightly again, but buying remains expensive
Existing home prices in the Netherlands fell by 0.4 percent in September compared to August, though they remain 2.9 percent higher than the previous year. While the rate of price growth has slowed, ho...
Construction sector needs 73,000 new workers by 2030 and competes with defense for personnel
The Dutch construction sector requires 73,000 new workers by 2030 to handle major infrastructure and housing projects. The industry faces significant challenges, including stiff competition from the d...
Years of illegal use of Schiphol: environmental groups and local residents take legal action over cabinet plans
A coalition of environmental groups and residents has challenged new government regulations for Schiphol Airport at the Council of State. The plaintiffs claim the rules legitimize years of illegal ope...
How dozens of websites went offline this afternoon: 'The ball started rolling proactively in the Netherlands'
Dozens of Dutch organizations preemptively took their websites offline on Wednesday to address two critical security vulnerabilities. While the threat was global, the Netherlands exhibited a significa...
Cor returned to paid work after retiring: ‘Playing guitar 7 days a week is a bit much’
An increasing number of retirees in the Netherlands are choosing to continue working after reaching the state pension age. For individuals like Cor, staying employed provides necessary structure and p...
Global online vulnerability update is live: A race against the clock
A critical security vulnerability has been discovered in the PHP programming language, prompting a race to patch systems before hackers can exploit the flaw. Many organizations have temporarily taken ...
AI-generated texts appear in parliamentary debates: 'Comes at the expense of credibility'
Recent research reveals that 68 members of the Dutch parliament have used artificial intelligence to draft or refine texts for parliamentary debates. While some argue these tools simply aid efficiency...
NVIDIA CEO calls on Europe to speed up AI adoption
NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang is touring Europe to encourage businesses to accelerate their transition toward AI-integrated operations to build a stronger local economy. Despite investor concerns regarding ...
Regional transport strikes on Thursday called off, new collective agreement talks scheduled
Regional transport strikes planned for Thursday have been canceled as employers and unions agree to resume negotiations for a new collective labor agreement. The unions have suspended all strike actio...
First group of regular customers can order online again at Albert Heijn
Albert Heijn has resumed online ordering for some loyal customers after a cyberattack forced a temporary shutdown of its digital and supply chain systems. The supermarket chain reports that full deliv...
The backbone of the internet is broken: why the attack on PHP is crippling half the web
A critical vulnerability in the widely used programming language PHP has forced numerous websites, including government portals, to go offline. Security experts have issued urgent warnings for adminis...
Heineken must pay over 111 million euros in damages to Greek competitor
Heineken has been ordered by an Amsterdam court to pay 111.2 million euros in damages to Greek competitor MTB. The ruling stems from the abuse of a dominant market position by Heineken's Greek subsidi...
European Commission launches investigation into Booking.com over failure to tackle fraud
The European Commission has opened an investigation into Booking.com over concerns that the travel platform is failing to adequately combat fraud and phishing scams. The inquiry aims to ensure the com...
First health insurance premium for 2027 rises by record percentage: 'Get used to it'
Dutch insurer DSW has announced a record increase in health insurance premiums for 2027 due to rising healthcare costs and reduced government subsidies. Experts warn that premiums will likely continue...