On-call work grows as zero-hours ban nears in 2028

The number of people on flexible contracts in the Netherlands has risen for a third quarter in a row, figures from national statistics agency CBS show.

Some 2.7 million workers aged 15 to 75 held a flexible contract in the first quarter of 2026, 63,000 more than a year earlier. The increase came mainly from on-call and stand-in staff and from people on temporary contracts with no prospect of a permanent job.

It marks a reversal on 2024 and the first half of 2025, when the number of flexible workers had fallen every quarter compared with a year before.

The number of permanent employees also rose, by 60,000, though more slowly than in recent quarters. The number of self-employed people fell for a fifth straight quarter, down 88,000 to just under 1.5 million, with the steepest drop among those without staff. The decline coincides with a tax office crackdown on sham self-employment.

Just over 1 million people now work on-call. Most are under 25, but more than a quarter are older: 130,000 are aged 25 to 45, and 145,000 between 45 and 75.

The rise comes as the government moves to limit temp contracts. From 2028, zero-hours contracts are due to disappear for most on-call workers, who will instead be offered “bandwidth” contracts setting a minimum and maximum number of hours.
Young people, students and those of state pension age will be exempt.

In total, just over 9.8 million people were in paid work, 35,000 more than a year earlier, though that growth has levelled off and the number fell in May.