Self-Employment in the Netherlands Falls for the First Time Since 2013
Work in NL | New Stardom
Photo by Noralí Nayla
Explore the Workplace Series
For the first time in more than ten years, the number of self-employed workers in the Netherlands has declined. Data from Statistics Netherlands shows that in the first quarter of 2025 there were 28,000 fewer self-employed individuals than in the same period the year before. This is the first recorded drop since 2013 and marks a shift in the structure of the Dutch labour market.
The decline follows the start of active enforcement of the Dutch DBA law, which classifies the difference between employment and self-employment. From January 2025, companies have faced tighter controls on how they engage freelancers. If someone works under employer-like conditions, they may be deemed an employee regardless of the contract form. The enforcement has led to increased legal and tax risk for employers, and a clear reduction in the use of freelance labour in sensitive sectors.
The largest reductions were seen in technical professions, commercial services, care, and hospitality. These sectors had previously experienced rapid freelance growth, often in arrangements where the difference between autonomy and pseudo-employment was never fully resolved. In many cases the shift was not due to workers leaving the labour market, but to reclassification. Thousands have moved into flexible contracts through agencies or into permanent employee roles and while the volume of work remains, the legal form it takes is changing.
Until now, self-employment in the Netherlands had grown steadily and was often framed as a sign of entrepreneurial dynamism. The 2025 figures suggest a change.
Whether this shift continues depends on how employers respond to regulation and how freelancers adapt. What is clear is that the Dutch labour market is adjusting not just in numbers but in form. The fall in self-employment does not mean less work.
Source: CBS – Statistics Netherlands
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