Economy News in English
Latest economy headlines from Dutch news, translated into English.
Wages remain high due to rising prices and tight labor market
Average wage growth in the Netherlands remained high during the first half of the year, driven by high inflation and a tight labor market. These economic conditions have prompted trade unions to deman...
Google must grant other search engines and AI bots access to Android
The European Commission has mandated that Google must provide third-party search engines and AI competitors access to its search data and Android devices. This decision aims to increase competition by...
Variable gas contracts 12 percent more expensive than before Iran war
Variable gas contract prices in the Netherlands have increased by 7 percent this month. According to the Authority for Consumers and Markets, these rates are now 12 percent higher than they were befor...
Crypto platform Knaken declared bankrupt: 7 million euros missing
The court in Rotterdam has declared the cryptocurrency platform Knaken bankrupt following a request from the Public Prosecution Service. The bankruptcy filing came after the Dutch Authority for the Fi...
Banks continue to profit from customers despite low mortgage margins
Banks in the Netherlands are expected to earn significantly less on new mortgages throughout 2025 and 2026. Despite lower mortgage margins, these institutions remain highly profitable due to consumer ...
ICE train makes emergency stop in Hamburg so conductor can buy toilet paper
An ICE train traveling from Sylt to Berlin made an unplanned stop at Hamburg-Bergedorf station over the weekend because it ran out of toilet paper. The delay resulted in the train arriving approximate...
AEX index edges higher after closing record of nearly 1,100 points
The AEX index opened slightly higher on Thursday following a record closing high on Wednesday. Investors remain cautious as they monitor ongoing geopolitical tensions between the United States and Ira...
Paramount CEO accused of deal with President Trump
Film producer David Ellison and his father, Larry Ellison, are facing accusations of engaging in an illegal deal with U.S. President Donald Trump. This arrangement was allegedly intended to facilitate...
Security of supply for rare earth metals under further pressure
A report from the International Energy Agency indicates that the security of supply for rare earth metals is increasingly threatened. This risk is driven by the dominant market position of certain nat...
Unemployment in the Netherlands falls slightly to 3.8 percent
Unemployment in the Netherlands decreased slightly to 3.8 percent in June, according to data from Statistics Netherlands (CBS). This figure represents 393,000 unemployed individuals, down from 3.9 per...
US bill hangs like a dark cloud over ASML's Chinese market
A proposed U.S. bill seeks to restrict the export of chip technology from partner countries to China. The Dutch government has expressed criticism, noting that such measures could significantly impact...
Dutch people receive vastly different amounts when living in long-term poverty
People in the Netherlands living in long-term poverty receive significantly different amounts of financial support depending on their municipality. The individual income supplement, intended to assist...
Netherlands still well below safe gas storage levels halfway through filling season
Midway through the injection season, Dutch gas storage facilities are only 33.1 percent full. This level remains significantly below the 80 percent target recommended by Gasunie to ensure supply secur...
Book vouchers and VVV gift cards face potential abolition in European fight against money laundering and dark money
New European anti-money laundering regulations threaten the future of popular Dutch gift vouchers such as the Boekenbon. Stakeholders argue that these rules are overly restrictive and could lead to th...
SpaceX shares slide further: falling below IPO price for the first time
SpaceX shares dropped 2 percent on Wall Street to 133 dollars, falling below the initial public offering price of 135 dollars. This marks the company's lowest share price since it went public last mon...
German arms exports more than quadrupled in the first half of the year
German arms exports have quadrupled in the first half of this year compared to the same period in 2023, according to preliminary data from the German Ministry of Economic Affairs. This significant inc...
Investors sell chip stocks again, causing ASML share price to drop
Investors on the Amsterdam stock exchange sold their chip holdings in the final hours of trading to cash in on earlier gains. Consequently, ASML shares closed down 0.4 percent after having risen by mo...
ASML is building the most complex machines ever: You have to shell out a few hundred million
ASML, a former Philips subsidiary based in Veldhoven, has become a global focal point for business leaders and journalists due to its development of highly complex and expensive machines. The company'...
Private investments by pension funds and insurers are not without risks
The Dutch Central Bank (DNB) has issued a warning regarding the increasing investments by Dutch pension funds and insurers in complex private market assets. These institutions often lack a full unders...
German government allocates billions in energy support for residents and businesses
The German government is allocating 13.3 billion euros for an energy support package to assist households and businesses next year. This initiative includes additional subsidies for energy-intensive c...
Writers Guild takes legal action over Paramount's acquisition of Warner Bros.
The Writers Guild of America has filed a lawsuit to block the acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery by Paramount Skydance. The union argues that the merger threatens the livelihoods of screenwriters.
One streaming service stops paying for AI music: what are competitors doing about the flood of AI junk?
Streaming platforms are facing an influx of AI-generated music, leading to concerns about how to distinguish it from human-made content. While Dutch listeners show a preference for music created by re...
AEX index tops 1,100 points for the first time following ASML share price jump
The Amsterdam stock exchange has reached a historic milestone by surpassing 1,100 points for the first time. The AEX-index rose shortly after the market opened on Wednesday, driven significantly by a ...
Quarter of a million train passengers bought cheaper summer pass
Approximately 270,000 people have purchased a summer discount subscription for train travel in the Netherlands over the past month. NS has observed an increase in train travel during off-peak hours si...
Chinese economy also suffers from Middle East war
China's economic growth slowed to 4.3 percent in the second quarter of this year due to weak domestic demand. The rise in oil prices, driven by the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, has further neg...
ASML raises growth expectations due to increasing demand
Chip manufacturer ASML has raised its growth forecasts for the year due to increased demand for chips driven by investments in artificial intelligence. The Veldhoven-based company is benefiting from t...
Inflation falls, but groceries and fixed costs still feel expensive
While official figures indicate that inflation in the Netherlands has decreased to approximately 3 percent, many consumers continue to experience much higher costs for groceries and fixed expenses. Pu...
Inflation is falling, though it doesn't feel like it: ‘When prices stay the same you don't notice, but when they rise you do’
Although inflation is technically decreasing in the Netherlands, rising oil prices due to geopolitical tensions are creating a feeling of sustained financial pressure. While costs for daily groceries ...
Farmyards must remain clean: Rijnland takes a tough stance on surface water risks
The Hoogheemraadschap van Rijnland is strictly monitoring farms to prevent pollution from entering surface water. This year, the water authority has already conducted 297 inspections to ensure farmyar...
