Self-employed workers increases worldwide 2023

The Netherlands is seeing a steady increase in the number of self-employed workers, as well as the number of companies in the country. According to recent statistics, there are currently 2,356,554 companies operating in the Netherlands, which is an increase of 129,622 companies from the previous year. The majority of these new companies are made up of self-employed persons without employees.

The number of start-ups in the first quarter of 2023 has increased by 12.6 percent, rising from 67,359 in the first quarter of 2022 to 75,825 in the same period this year. The hospitality sector has seen the highest growth, with a 29 percent increase in start-ups. This is followed by the retail trade, with a 25.5 percent increase, and business services, with a 21.9 percent increase. The culture, sport, and recreation sector has also seen significant growth, with a 20.6 percent increase in start-ups. However, the financial institutions, wholesalers, and agriculture and horticulture sectors have seen a decrease in the number of start-ups.

Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been an increase in the number of self-employed workers, particularly in sectors such as healthcare, education, and construction. This has led to a current total of more than 1.24 million self-employed persons in the Netherlands, which is an increase from the one million recorded just before the pandemic.

On the other hand, the first three months of 2023 have also seen an increase in the number of entrepreneurs who stopped their businesses compared to the same period in the previous year. There were 46,205 entrepreneurs who stopped their businesses, which is an increase of more than 6,000 from the previous year, representing a 15 percent increase. Additionally, 641 companies went bankrupt in the first quarter of 2023, which is an increase of 57 percent from the same period in the previous year. The industrial, hospitality, logistics, personal services, and retail sectors have seen the highest number of bankruptcies.

Joris Knoben, a professor of Strategy and Entrepreneurship at the Tilburg School of Economics and Management, has noted that the rise in the number of entrepreneurs in the Netherlands is significant. He says that “this shows that entrepreneurship is an attractive option for an increasing group of people.” However, he also emphasizes that this increase is mainly due to the growth in the number of self-employed persons without employees. In almost all sectors, from healthcare to construction, this group has increased significantly in size.

In conclusion, the Netherlands is experiencing an increase in the number of self-employed workers and companies, with a particular rise in start-ups in the hospitality, retail trade, business services, and culture, sport, and recreation sectors. However, there has also been an increase in the number of entrepreneurs who have stopped their businesses and an increase in bankruptcies in certain sectors. The rise in the number of self-employed persons without employees highlights the attractiveness of entrepreneurship as a viable career option for many people in the Netherlands.