Economy News in English
Latest economy headlines from Dutch news, translated into English.
Open House Day in Haarlem: 120 homes open for viewing
This Saturday, prospective homebuyers can visit 120 houses in Haarlem without an appointment during the national Open House Day. According to the listing site Funda, an additional 170 properties are a...
Labor dispute looms at Tata Steel. 'False start for the new organization'
Tata Steel management and trade unions have failed to reach an agreement on a new collective bargaining contract before the current one expires on April 1. This dispute coincides with the company's sc...
Geldmaat closes ATMs and limits opening hours after series of ATM bombings
Geldmaat is closing several ATMs and restricting the opening hours of others following a series of six explosive attacks targeting their machines this week. These measures are being implemented to pre...
Iran allows Malaysian oil tankers through Strait of Hormuz
Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim announced that Iran has agreed to allow Malaysian oil tankers to pass through the Strait of Hormuz. The decision follows high-level discussions between Ibrahim a...
Regulators investigate if Odido kept customer data too long
The Dutch Data Protection Authority and the Rijksinspectie Digitale Infrastructuur are investigating whether telecom provider Odido retained customer data for longer than permitted. This probe follows...
Brussels intervenes: major porn sites fail to protect children enough
The European Commission has filed charges against major pornographic websites, including Pornhub and Stripchat, for failing to adequately prevent children from accessing their content in violation of ...
Slightly more cans and bottles returned, but still not enough
Verpact reports that while the collection of deposit bottles and cans in the Netherlands is increasing, it still falls short of the 90% legal requirement. The organization acknowledges that reaching t...
More fatal workplace accidents in 2025 than the previous year
The Dutch Labor Inspectorate reported an increase in fatal workplace accidents in 2025, with 59 recorded deaths compared to 52 the previous year. This data indicates a slight rise in work-related fata...
Netherlands comfortably meets old NATO target, handful of countries barely
The Netherlands comfortably met the previous NATO defense spending target by last year's deadline, while several other member states only narrowly succeeded. Following a summit in The Hague, allies ar...
Boekholt on interview: should have chosen words more carefully
Dutch Minister for Housing Elanor Boekholt-O’Sullivan expressed regret over her choice of words during a recent interview with The Guardian regarding peak-hour electricity conservation. Her comments...
Pump prices drop slightly after Monday's peak
Suggested retail prices for gasoline and diesel in the Netherlands have seen a slight decrease following a peak earlier this week. This trend suggests a stabilization in international oil prices, alth...
Budget chain Action to open first US store in late 2027
Budget retail chain Action plans to open its first store in the United States in late 2027 or early 2028. The company aims to expand its presence to 100 locations across the country by the end of 2030...
Study: quality of maternity care under pressure
A study by Dutch health organizations warns that the quality of maternity care is under pressure due to increasing staff shortages. These shortages result in women receiving fewer hours of care than n...
Dutch national debt exceeds 500 billion for the first time
The Dutch national debt and government spending exceeded 500 billion euros for the first time last year. According to Statistics Netherlands (CBS), government expenditures continue to increase steadil...
Paying with smartphone or smartwatch more popular than debit card for the first time
In 2025, mobile and smartwatch payments in the Netherlands became more popular than traditional debit card use for the first time. Nearly 60% of all card-based transactions were cardless, representing...
Another ATM bombing, this time on Slotermeerlaan
An ATM on Slotermeerlaan in Amsterdam Nieuw-West was targeted by an explosion early Thursday morning, marking the latest in a series of similar incidents in the region this week. Police have cordoned ...
Household disposable income rises due to higher wages
In 2025, Dutch households saw an increase in disposable income primarily driven by higher collective labor agreement wages. While employee compensation rose, Statistics Netherlands (CBS) also reported...
Patients Federation: more digital consultations due to fuel costs
The Patients Federation Netherlands is calling on healthcare providers to offer more digital consultations to help patients manage rising travel costs caused by high fuel prices and parking fees. The ...
Renovating neglected Haarlem playgrounds will cost between 3 and 7 million euros
Renovating Haarlem's 16 dilapidated playgrounds is estimated to cost between three and seven million euros. The Haarlem City Council aims to take over maintenance responsibilities to improve the facil...
Scammers active again with fake porn site fines and extortion; 5,000 paid annually
Fraudsters are increasingly sending fake fines and extortion notices claiming to be from the Dutch Central Judicial Collection Agency (CJIB). The Fraud Help Desk reports that approximately 5,000 peopl...
Housing project De Heerlijkheid Curtis in Heemskerk delayed by up to 1.5 years due to nitrogen regulations
The De Heerlijkheid Curtis housing project in Heemskerk has been delayed by up to 1.5 years due to nitrogen regulations. Local officials are currently awaiting a national breakthrough regarding nitrog...
Women off sick due to stress twice as often as men
Women are twice as likely as men to take sick leave due to stress, especially those between the ages of 25 and 45. On average, employees who stop working due to stress-related issues remain absent for...
CEO of largest asset manager warns of dire consequences if oil hits $150
Larry Fink, the CEO of BlackRock, has warned of severe global economic consequences if oil prices reach $150 per barrel. He described a potential doom scenario that would be felt worldwide should such...
Crisis? What crisis? Dutch Parliament bickers over how bad energy prices already are
The Dutch House of Representatives is debating how to respond to rising energy prices, with the cabinet being urged to prepare contingency measures. However, political parties remain divided on the se...
Expert: 'Trump is unpredictable, so investors don't know which way it's going and are doing nothing'
Investors are currently navigating volatile financial markets driven by ongoing conflict in the Middle East and the unpredictability of Donald Trump. This atmosphere of uncertainty has led many small ...
Times of Israel: Iran's gift to US was passage for tankers
President Donald Trump's claimed 'gift' from Iran was the guaranteed safe passage of several tankers through the Strait of Hormuz. According to Arab and American officials speaking to The Times of Isr...
Cabinet cannot yet say when it will take energy measures
Minister Heleen Herbert stated that the Dutch cabinet cannot yet determine when it will implement measures to address the economic and energy impacts caused by the war in Iran. The announcement was ma...
Many ideas to curb price increases, but Parliament not aligned
The Dutch House of Representatives is debating various measures to help households and businesses cope with rising prices, including fuel price caps and tax cuts. However, political parties remain div...
Wealthy tourists spend $110,000 for a week in Antarctica, and even their poop comes back with them
Parties attack FVD over friendly stance toward Iran and Russia
Dutch coalition and opposition parties criticized Forum for Democracy (FVD) MP Ralf Dekker for his supportive stance toward Russia and Iran. During a debate on energy prices, Dekker proposed that the ...