Cooling labor market puts pressure on starters
The Dutch labor market is in a phase of cooling. The number of open vacancies is declining and unemployment has risen to its highest level in four years. As a result, the position of recent graduates is under pressure, making it more challenging to find a first job.
However, a completely bleak picture is not emerging. Data from LinkedIn shows that there are clear exceptions, where more starters are being attracted than before. Especially sectors that focus on knowledge and safety currently offer relatively many opportunities.
Growth in five sectors indicates economic shift
Not all sectors are equally hard hit by the cooling. In five sectors, the influx of starters has steadily grown over the past three years. This indicates a broader shift in the economy, where the demand for talent is being redistributed.
The sectors where this growth is visible:
- Real estate
- Legal services
- Consultancy
- Accounting and financial administration
- Military and security services
The growth in legal services and defense is not coming out of nowhere. Increasing regulatory pressure and stricter compliance requirements are creating a greater demand for legal talent. At the same time, the defense sector is benefiting from political decisions to significantly increase spending in the coming years. These investments are already visible in the increasing influx of starters.
In contrast, traditional sectors are losing ground. Transport and logistics see the influx of starters decrease by 12.9 percent, while wholesale shows a decrease of 18.5 percent. This underscores that the economy is actively redistributing its demand for talent.
Demand shifts to specialized roles
Within the growing sectors, the type of roles in demand is also changing. Employers are increasingly looking for starters with directly applicable, specialized knowledge. This is evident from the fastest-growing job titles:
- Court Administrator / Clerk: +258%
- SAP consultant: +221%
- Sales executive: +215%
- Legal analyst: +215%
- Information security specialist: +148%
In addition to these strong growers, there is also a broader, stable demand for roles that are essential for daily operations. Think of roles such as merchandise coordinator, hotel manager, head of marketing, and contract employee. The demand for starters is therefore not limited to technology or finance, but extends across the full breadth of the economy.
Redistribution instead of collapse
According to Thomas de Man from the LinkedIn Editorial Team, there is no collapse of the starter market, but a clear redistribution. Notably, Gen Z is performing relatively better than other generations, as the demand for this group has not fallen as sharply.
Employers have become more critical in their selection. They prefer starters who can be deployed quickly and can add immediate value. Candidates with specialized knowledge therefore have a clear advantage in the current labor market.
Small businesses gain ground
In addition to sectors and roles, the distribution by company size is also shifting. The largest numbers of starters still begin at medium-sized companies. For example, 19.2 percent start at organizations with 11 to 50 employees and 18.4 percent at companies with 51 to 200 employees.
However, the strongest growth is visible in the smallest companies. Organizations with 1 to 10 employees saw an increase in influx by 6 percent. Large corporates with more than 10,001 employees recorded a decrease of 7.3 percent. This means that especially small businesses are attracting an increasingly larger share of the starter market.
Opportunities shift to employability and specialization
According to Gen Z expert Laura Bas, these figures break the image that starters are hit hardest in a cooling labor market. Opportunities still exist, but are less about prestige and more about practical employability and specialization.
Those who understand where the demand lies and focus on it have a clear advantage, according to her. This not only changes where starters work but also how they strategically build their careers.
Regional differences remain significant
Regionally, clear differences remain visible. The Randstad still serves as the main job engine for starters. Amsterdam leads the list and shows slight growth. Utrecht and the Breda–Tilburg region also show an increase in starters.
In other regions, there is a decline in influx. This emphasizes that economic dynamics and sector development can vary greatly by region, which has direct consequences for opportunities in the labor market.
Three trends that will shape the starter market in 2026
- The developments in the Dutch labor market can be summarized in three clear trends. These indicate where the opportunities for starters lie in the coming period:
- Specialization pays off: starters with legal, digital, or sector-specific knowledge have a structural advantage
- Growth outside corporates: smaller and medium-sized companies are hiring relatively more starters
- Shift to relevant domains: sectors with a strong knowledge component and societal role are gaining ground
- These trends make it clear that the starter market is not disappearing, but changing. Those who adapt to this new reality significantly increase their chances.
