Economy News in English
Latest economy headlines from Dutch news, translated into English.
European publishers sue Google over advertising practices, seeking over €640 million
A group of more than twenty European news publishers has filed a lawsuit against Google in an Amsterdam court, seeking over 640 million euros in damages. The publishers claim they suffered financial l...
Severe staff shortage in technical sector: focus on career switchers
The City of Amsterdam, educational institutions, and businesses have launched the 'Baan met Toekomst' program to address a severe labor shortage in the technical sector by targeting career switchers. ...
Halsema on failure of erotic center: 'Coalition didn't dare or want to take the step'
Amsterdam Mayor Femke Halsema criticized the city coalition's decision to scrap the planned erotic center and maintain current levels of window prostitution in the Red Light District. Despite this set...
We’re having too few children, and Richard Kemper understands why
The fertility rate in the Netherlands has dropped from 1.71 to 1.43 over the past decade, falling short of the 2.1 children per woman needed to sustain the workforce. Richard Kemper notes that while r...
96.24 euros for Yvonne, 120 euros for Roy. SP pays fuel receipts along the A9. 'At Shell they are first-class profiteers'
The Socialist Party (SP) and leader Jimmy Dijk organized a protest against rising fuel prices at a Shell gas station along the A9 near Heemskerk. During the event, the party used a 'Wheel of Fortune' ...
Health gap for children in Southeast starts before birth: "Alarming result"
A study by Erasmus MC reveals that infants born in Amsterdam Zuidoost face significantly higher health risks, with stillbirth and low birth weight rates double the national average. Researchers emphas...
FIFA cancels free World Cup tickets and asks fans to pay after all
FIFA has invalidated World Cup tickets that were accidentally distributed for free to dozens of supporters due to a technical error. The organization is now requiring these fans to pay the full ticket...
Steel slag use in construction soon to require permit: State Secretary Annet Bertram working on ‘no unless’ ban
State Secretary Annet Bertram is developing new regulations for the use of steel slag in construction, effectively introducing a "No/unless" ban. Under these rules, a permit will only be granted if th...
Eatery Turquoise in Parkwijk to close: 'We cannot afford the planned relocation'
Stichting Turquoise and its associated eatery in Haarlem's Parkwijk district will close permanently on July 4th. The board decided to shut down because they cannot responsibly manage the planned reloc...
More needed to solve multibillion-euro deficit of housing associations
Minister of Housing Elanor Boekholt-O’Sullivan stated that additional measures are needed to address a nearly 20 billion euro deficit facing Dutch housing corporations. While coalition plans exist t...
Utrecht road users rewarded for avoiding rush hour
Road users in the Utrecht region are being incentivized to avoid rush hour travel this summer due to extensive roadworks. By registering their trips via an app, participants can earn points to win pri...
People worldwide eat nearly six times as much chicken as in 1961
A report from the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) reveals that global meat production has quadrupled over the past sixty years. On average, individuals worldwide now consume nearly six time...
Abdeluheb Choho becomes new head of UWV and faces major challenges
Abdeluheb Choho has been appointed as the new head of the UWV, starting his role in September. He succeeds Maarten Camps, who is stepping down after leading the organization for six years. Choho curre...
The Little Squirrel has moved and has much more space: ‘Never dared to dream’
The second-hand clothing store De Kleine Eekhoorn has moved to a larger location at Bakkerspleintje in Castricum after less than two years in business. Owner Soraya Hoogendam expanded the shop to incl...
Rotterdam wooden residential tower named Best Building of the Year
The SAWA residential tower in Rotterdam has been named the Best Building of the Year, the most prestigious architectural award in the Netherlands. The jury highlighted the structure's innovative use o...
Cabinet aims to help 75,000 asylum seekers find work over next four years
The Dutch government aims to help 75,000 unemployed asylum seekers find work over the next four years. To support this initiative, the cabinet plans to collaborate with businesses and streamline relev...
Status holders must be able to start work as soon as possible
The Dutch government aims to integrate asylum seekers and status holders into the workforce as quickly as possible to address labor market shortages. The cabinet has set a goal for 60% of these indivi...
Aartsen wants 75,000 extra asylum seekers in work in coming years
Minister Thierry Aartsen aims to help 75,000 additional asylum seekers and residence permit holders find employment over the next four years. He proposes that those with high chances of staying should...
Mandatory permits for all tourist businesses in city center
The City of Amsterdam is permanently implementing a permit requirement for tourist shops in the city center to combat criminal activity and screen business owners. The initiative follows a successful ...
Jetten: full EU membership must remain the goal
Dutch politician Rob Jetten stated that full EU membership should remain the primary goal for candidate countries, speaking ahead of a summit with Western Balkan nations in Montenegro. He expressed op...
Eurozone economy shrinks due to situation in Ireland
The Eurozone economy contracted by 0.2 percent in the first quarter of 2026 compared to the final quarter of 2025. According to data from Eurostat, this decline was primarily driven by the economic si...
Wehkamp kept reinventing itself, and it needs to do so again now
Wehkamp, the company that pioneered home shopping in the Netherlands, is undergoing an acquisition following several challenging years. Despite its history of innovation and market leadership, the Zwo...
Lego launches building set with over 12,000 pieces: Sagrada Familia is largest set ever
Lego has announced its largest building set to date, a replica of the Sagrada Familia cathedral featuring 12,060 pieces. Aimed at architecture enthusiasts, the massive kit allows builders to recreate ...
Tata Steel must give Donald Pols a second chance after all
The article presents a weekly proposition asking readers whether Tata Steel should offer Donald Pols, the director of Milieudefensie, a second chance. This call for public opinion follows recent tensi...
US dollar remains globally dominant but loses ground
Central banks worldwide are holding fewer US dollar reserves compared to a decade ago, although the currency remains globally dominant. This trend was highlighted by recent data released by De Nederla...
Van Veldhoven: important to go through Moerdijk process carefully
Minister Stientje van Veldhoven emphasized the importance of a careful decision-making process regarding the future of Moerdijk. She noted that the ongoing uncertainty is difficult for the residents l...
Farmers receive less for their products, potato prices fall sharply
Dutch farmers and horticulturists saw their income from products fall by over 10 percent in the first quarter of the year compared to the same period in 2025. The price drop was particularly significa...
Fully pesticide-free greenery remains unattainable for Haarlem for now
Alderman Robbert Berkhout announced that Haarlem will not meet its goal of having all city greenery pesticide-free by 2028. The delay is caused by the limited availability of trees, shrubs, and grass ...
Number of Russian companies in the country falls sharply over ten years
The number of Russian-owned companies in the Netherlands has significantly decreased since 2014. This decline is primarily attributed to the impact of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Japan to replace aging nuclear reactors
Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry has proposed replacing up to 14 outdated nuclear reactors over the next few decades. This initiative is intended to ensure the country can meet its gro...