Solutions for labour market shortages
The Dutch labour market is struggling with serious shortages in all sectors. Major causes are the ageing population, work pressure, mismatched and unused labour potential, and flex workers. In a joint article in the 'Tijdschrift voor Recht en Arbeid' (TRA), researchers from the Department of Labour Law and Social Security propose solutions from the perspective of labour law.
The government proposes tackling shortages in the labour market as follows:
- better matching of supply and demand;
- increasing the supply of labour; and
- reducing demand for labour, for example through robotisation.
The guiding principle behind these proposals is that it pays (more) to work, or to work more hours.
In the article, the researchers discuss a number of directions for solutions, distinguishing between steering measures (qualification agreement, dismissal permits for employees) and incentive measures (overtime bonus, training) and identify the bottlenecks associated with them.
The study reveals that legal, political, and practical bottlenecks are inextricably linked, and that a single measure will not be sufficient to tackle staff shortages. Instead, a package of coordinated measures is needed, in which the mutual influence of the various measures should be the guiding principle, as well as legal feasibility and effectiveness. There is no simple solution to shortages in the labour market. Therefore, a follow-up study is needed to determine which measures the package should include.
Meer weten?
Read the full article (in Dutch) in the Tijdschrift voor Arbeidsrecht (€).
Photo: Kumpan Electric via Unsplash