Economy News in English

‘You used to eat noodles, now you eat burrata on sourdough’: three students on their money worries

Will there be another price cap? How the government can lower energy bills

The Dutch government is considering several measures, including a potential price cap, to address rising energy bills caused by increasing oil and gas prices. Politicians in The Hague are currently ev...

Unrest in Middle East also impacts mortgage market

Unrest in the Middle East has caused capital market interest rates to rise by 0.25 percentage points. As a result, mortgage lenders in the Netherlands have started increasing their interest rates.

LPG is much cheaper than petrol and diesel. Motorists consider switching

Motorists are increasingly considering a switch to LPG as gasoline and diesel prices continue to rise. Most vehicles can be converted to run on the cheaper fuel without compromising the driving experi...

Cabinet considers it too early for measures against rising energy prices

Dutch Finance Minister Eelco Heinen stated that the cabinet will not yet take measures against rising energy prices following the conflict in Iran. He argued that it is too early to predict the long-t...

Jetten and Tusk want ‘pragmatic solution’ to oil dispute

Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk have called for a pragmatic solution to the ongoing oil supply dispute between Ukraine and Hungary. During a joint press conferenc...

Bakery bread prices not rising immediately despite rising grain costs

Industry organizations expect that bread prices at bakeries will not rise immediately despite increasing grain prices. This delay is due to long-term contracts between bakeries and suppliers, which bu...

Macron announces ‘defensive’ mission to reopen strait

French President Emmanuel Macron announced a purely defensive mission to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and escort cargo vessels once the most intense phase of the Middle East conflict concludes. The ann...

Motorists with jerrycans at the pump: extra crowds expected

Motorists are flocking to gas stations to fill up their cars and jerrycans as fuel prices rise rapidly following the conflict in the Middle East. Station owners have observed significantly higher dema...

South Holland approves plans for 285,000 homes by 2036

The province of Zuid-Holland has approved plans for the construction of approximately 285,000 homes by 2036. While 2,333 projects were accepted for meeting environmental regulations, thirteen plans we...

Almost 2.40 euros a liter: motorists hit hard at the pump

Dutch motorists are facing fuel prices nearing 2.40 euros per liter due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. Market experts explain that the price surge is a direct result of the blockage of th...

Sharp price increases at the pump again Tuesday: ‘First major effects becoming visible’

Motorists in the Netherlands will face significant fuel price increases on Tuesday as global oil prices rise above $100 per barrel due to the conflict in the Middle East. Fuel expert Derk Foolen from ...

Thousands of homes, no North/South line: the results of Haarlemmermeer's coalition plans

The political coalition in Haarlemmermeer has largely fulfilled its promises from four years ago, including the construction of 3,000 new homes and improvements to local parking. However, despite thes...

Dutch officials targeted by Russian attack on Signal and WhatsApp

The Dutch intelligence services AIVD and MIVD have warned that Russian hackers are targeting the Signal and WhatsApp accounts of high-ranking individuals, including Dutch government employees. These c...

Why female freelancers earn more than male self-employed workers

Female freelancers in the Netherlands have reached a milestone by earning a higher average hourly wage than their male counterparts. While the gender pay gap persists in traditional employment, it is ...

Hans Spekman new chairman of FNV trade union

Former PvdA party chairman Hans Spekman has been appointed as the new chairman of the Dutch trade union FNV. The move is intended to restore stability within the organization following an internal con...

Marianne (61) lived in a Bloemendaal villa but was left destitute after husband’s death: ’How did I let it get this far?’

After the sudden death of her husband, 61-year-old Marianne Heemskerk discovered their fortune had vanished, leaving her penniless despite their previously wealthy lifestyle. She has since dedicated h...

Companies fear more pressure on permanent staff as temporary workers are already impossible to find

Dutch companies are concerned about increasing pressure on permanent staff as stricter flexible work regulations approach and a shortage of flex workers persists. Only 6% of self-employed individuals ...

Number of people using food banks rises

The number of people using food banks in the Netherlands increased last year, according to Voedselbanken Nederland. The organization attributes this rise to better awareness of their services and grow...

Dutch Central Bank aims to make payment systems resilient: 'Cash must remain available'

De Nederlandsche Bank (DNB) aims to enhance the resilience and independence of the Dutch payment system in the coming years. The central bank is calling for increased availability of cash and ATMs, al...

Dutch hunt for cheap petrol across the border: ‘They use our driveway as if it’s theirs’

Dutch drivers are increasingly crossing the border into Belgium to seek cheaper fuel, causing significant traffic congestion in border villages like Essen and Meerle. Local residents have raised conce...

European gas prices jump another 30% amid ongoing Iran war

European gas prices surged by 30 percent on Monday, driven by rising oil prices and continued instability in the Middle East. The market remains volatile as the conflict involving Iran, Israel, and th...

Oil price tops $100 for the first time since 2022

The price of American oil, specifically West Texas Intermediate (WTI), has exceeded $100 per barrel for the first time since the summer of 2022. This price level was reached on Sunday, marking a retur...

American companies can shut down our card payments, leading to chaos

Inge van Dijk, Director of Payments at the Dutch Central Bank (DNB), warns that the Netherlands' heavy reliance on American service providers for digital payments poses a significant security risk. Th...

Europe triples arms imports and continues to buy mainly from the US

European countries have tripled their weapon imports in recent years, with the vast majority of equipment sourced from the United States. Data from the SIPRI research institute shows that American exp...

Jetten sees no reason to lower fuel excise duties

Prime Minister Rob Jetten stated that there is currently no reason to lower excise duties on fuel despite rising prices. During a television appearance, he emphasized that the government is monitoring...

Aluminum price surges on Gulf region unrest

Aluminum prices surged by nearly 10% this week, marking the largest weekly increase since 2023. The spike is attributed to ongoing geopolitical unrest in the Middle East and the Gulf region.

Drost driving belt factory became successful thanks to the rise of Haarlem as an industrial city

The former Drost drive belt factory in Haarlem, once a key supplier for the city's industrial rise, has been preserved and transformed into the Oerkap restaurant and city beach. After serving as a tan...

Lodewijk Asscher: Every day the AOW turd remains on the table is wasted time

Lodewijk Asscher, a former PvdA leader and key architect of the Dutch pension agreement, has criticized the government for its indecision regarding the AOW state pension age. He expressed frustration ...

Part of Wildlands Emmen zoo closed after suspected bird flu case

Part of Wildlands Adventure Zoo in Emmen has been closed following a suspected bird flu outbreak. The Dutch Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Food Security and Nature is investigating the situation ...