Asylum and Integration 2026: Employment Rate of Status Holders Rises in Netherlands - News and Statistics

May 8, 2026

Asylum applicants who have received a residence permit in the Netherlands are entering the workforce at a higher rate and with greater speed than in previous years, according to new figures from Statistics Netherlands (CBS) in its Asylum and Integration 2026 report. This trend is particularly pronounced among young males.

Among successful asylum applicants aged 18 to 64 who were granted residence status in 2024, 13 percent were employed within three months. This compares to just 1 percent for those granted residence in 2014. The data shows that from 2014 to 2020, the share of status holders aged 18 to 64 in work within three months never exceeded 3 percent. Since 2020, that figure has risen gradually, from 6 percent in 2021 to 13 percent in 2024.

Over half of status holders who were granted residence in 2024 and found work within six months were employed in either the hospitality sector or by a temporary employment agency. Specifically, 28 percent were working for a temporary employment agency after six months, while 26 percent were in hospitality. For females, hospitality was the main employer, while for males, temporary employment agencies dominated. Among the 2014 cohort, hospitality was the largest employer after six months, with 39 percent working in that sector.

Status holders are also more likely than the general workforce to hold temporary or zero-hours contracts. Among those granted residence in 2024, roughly half were on a zero-hours contract within three months. A further 21 percent were working for a temporary employment agency three months after receiving residence. In contrast, zero-hours contracts and temporary work accounted for about 14 percent of the total employed labor force in 2014, falling to around 10 percent by 2024.

Between 2014 and the first half of 2025, over 311 thousand asylum seekers were granted asylum residence permits in the Netherlands. The composition of this group has varied annually. In 2014, 57 percent of recipients were aged 18 to 44, while in 2018 that share dropped to 36 percent, the lowest recorded. In most years, around 60 percent of permits went to males, except in 2017 and the first half of 2025, when slightly more permits were granted to females.

The longer status holders hold a residence permit, the more likely they are to be employed. Among those granted residence in 2014, 19 percent were working three years later. For the 2021 cohort, that share was nearly 33 percent. After seven years, almost 52 percent of 2014 residence permit holders had a job. Among young males aged 18 to 34, the employment rate exceeded 70 percent.

The report also highlights shifts in education participation. Among those granted residence in 2024, 28 percent were in school within three months, compared to 32 percent for the 2014 group. Changes in labor market conditions and government policy, including the scrapping of the 24-week work rule at the end of 2023, may have contributed to these variations.

The Asylum and Integration 2026 report, commissioned by the Netherlands Ministries of Social Affairs and Employment and Asylum and Migration, is the tenth in an annual series published by Statistics Netherlands since 2017. It examines the integration of status holders, covering topics such as housing, civic integration, education, work, income, healthcare use, and crime.

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GLOSSARY AND SPECIFIC TERMS

2. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

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3. MARKET OVERVIEW

Understanding the Current State of The Market and its Prospects

MARKET SIZE: HISTORICAL DATA (2012–2025) AND FORECAST (2026–2035)
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MARKET FORECAST TO 2035

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11.1

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