Economy News in English

More sick leave compared to last year: 'Workload most cited reason'

Sickness absence in the Netherlands rose to 5.8% in the first quarter of this year, compared to the 5% average seen in previous years. Increased work pressure was cited as the most common reason for e...

Solar panels remain primarily a benefit for higher incomes

One in three Dutch households now has solar panels, but the CPB reports that these installations remain primarily concentrated among higher-income families. This disparity indicates that the benefits ...

Barbie playbook used for He-Man: ‘Driven mainly by nostalgia’

Following the success of the Barbie movie, toy manufacturer Mattel is preparing a new cinematic release for the 1980s action hero He-Man. The company aims to revitalize the brand for modern audiences ...

Hussein has mixed feelings after selling his IJmuiden steakhouse: 'In life you will sometimes fail, try again and maybe fail again'

Hussein Sheikh-Ahmar has sold his steakhouse located at Plein 1945 in IJmuiden after lowering the asking price by 140,000 euros. While expressing relief over the sale, Sheikh-Ahmar also shared feeling...

Fewer sleepless nights: Heijmans largely phases out traditional pile driving

Construction company Heijmans is largely replacing traditional pile driving with drilling and screwing methods to reduce noise and vibration nuisance for nearby residents. This change will become the ...

Audit Court: Amsterdam must address shared two-wheelers

The Amsterdam Audit Office has advised the city to expand its network of neighborhood hubs for shared scooters and bikes to effectively reduce car usage. Currently, the impact of these hubs on city tr...

Groene Hart could still open to wind turbines next year

The South Holland provincial government has temporarily withdrawn its plan to install wind turbines in the Groene Hart region but may reconsider opening up to twelve potential sites next year. Further...

Australians smoking more despite rising cigarette prices

Smoking in Australia has increased since 2017, despite government anti-smoking policies that tripled cigarette prices. The rise in tobacco use is primarily attributed to a significant increase in the ...

YouTube overtakes Netflix in average daily watch time worldwide

YouTube has surpassed Netflix in average daily viewing time worldwide, according to industry analysts. This shift is largely attributed to more users watching YouTube on television screens, creating a...

Cabinet approves nearly 400 million euros extra for emergency and development aid

The Dutch cabinet has reached an agreement to allocate an additional 328 million euros for emergency and development aid this year. Minister Sjoerd Sjoerdsma brokered the deal with the GroenLinks-PvdA...

Cabinet reaches agreement with GL-PvdA on extra aid funding

The Dutch government has reached an agreement with the GroenLinks-PvdA opposition to allocate an additional 328 million euros to the development aid budget this year. This deal ensures the budget has ...

New coalition: 'We are not going to put up billboards with what we have achieved'

Amsterdam's new coalition between PRO Amsterdam and D66 has finalized an agreement that focuses on addressing the housing crisis and maintaining generous asylum policies while reducing the city's civi...

Amsterdam was wrong to withdraw the Weespersluis development plan: ‘Hopefully they will talk to us residents again’

KLM employee fired after leaking 1,000 liters of kerosene: 'High fire risk'

A KLM employee has been fired and denied severance pay after causing a leak of 1,000 liters of kerosene last year. A court in Haarlem ruled that the incident created a significant fire hazard and seri...

Floris Galjaard (21) profits from VanMoof's collapse: 'I thought, there’s a business in that'

Twenty-one-year-old Floris Galjaard from Driehuis has turned a hobby into a successful business by refurbishing and reselling hundreds of VanMoof e-bikes. His company capitalizes on the manufacturer's...

Chemical company Dow cuts more than 600 jobs in the Netherlands

Chemical company Dow has announced it will cut 605 jobs within its Dutch operations. The move is part of a global restructuring effort that involves a total reduction of 4,500 positions worldwide.

Standing on its own feet is a necessity for Europe, but it costs a lot of money

Europe aims to reduce its technological dependency on the United States and China to mitigate vulnerability to external political shifts. Although establishing autonomy is viewed as a strategic necess...

Condition of bridges in Velsen is good, only Juliana Bridge needs replacement

While a third of Dutch municipalities struggle with bridge maintenance backlogs, the situation in Velsen is reportedly good. Only the Julianabrug requires replacement, a project that has already been ...

Political reporter Tim Wagemakers on the coalition agreement: ‘Car owners will pay more’

Fewer passengers at European airports for the first time since COVID crisis

Passenger numbers at European airports fell by 0.7 percent in April 2026 compared to the same month the previous year. This decline marks the first drop in passenger traffic recorded since the end of ...

Arrest during raid on company on Parallelweg in Beverwijk

Police and the Fiscal Information and Investigation Service (FIOD) conducted a raid on a business on Parallelweg in Beverwijk on Wednesday. One person was arrested during the operation, and an investi...

Haarlem spends millions extra on laptops and smartphones for officials: 'Rise of AI driving up prices'

The municipality of Haarlem will invest an additional 7.5 million euros over the next five years to provide civil servants with updated laptops and smartphones. This budget increase is driven by stric...

Housing market faces standstill without intervention

Experts are warning of a potential standstill in the housing market as buyer confidence declines due to high energy prices, rising construction costs, and international conflict. These factors represe...

Vijlbrief puts knife to meat industry's throat: agency worker ban looms in two weeks

Minister Hans Vijlbrief has issued a two-week deadline for the meat processing industry to address labor abuses or face a ban on hiring temporary workers. This measure aims to compel slaughterhouses a...

New European tech package: more data centers and less dependence on Big Tech

The European Commission has introduced a new package of technology regulations aimed at reducing the continent's dependence on American big tech companies. The initiative focuses on promoting homegrow...

Economists expect petrol to reach 2.82 euros per liter and energy bills to rise by 40 euros per month

Economists predict that gasoline prices could rise to 2.82 euros per liter this summer due to the ongoing conflict between the U.S. and Iran. Furthermore, new energy contracts are expected to increase...

Home raid in Heemskerk

On Wednesday afternoon, the FIOD, Customs, and police conducted a joint raid on a residence in Heemskerk. The investigation took place at a home located on Aletta Jacobsstraat.

Cheap summer train subscription starts a week early: Off-peak travel for 49 euros a month from June 15

A discounted summer train subscription offering off-peak travel for 49 euros per month will now take effect on June 15, one week earlier than the originally planned June 21 start date. This adjustment...

Zaanstad receives extra funding to tackle subsiding homes with wooden foundations

The municipality of Zaanstad has received 1 million euros from the Dutch government to address foundation problems in homes with wooden foundations. This funding will be specifically used to accelerat...

US threatens new import tariffs on EU and dozens of other economies

The United States is threatening to impose new import tariffs on products from sixty economies, including the European Union, Canada, and China. The U.S. claims these regions are not doing enough to p...