Trend Heavy reliance on knowledge and labour migrants

Summary

The report finds the Netherlands leaning heavily on knowledge and labour migrants to expand its knowledge economy and deliver its transitions. Migrants add to the economy's growth capacity, and targeted recruitment of labour migrants can ease shortages somewhat. Yet this brings language barriers and a need for specific training, and it adds pressure on housing and services, which clashes with the goal of moderate population growth. The report cautions that a larger labour supply also generates more economic activity and thus more demand for workers, so long-term reliance on migration will not resolve structural shortages on its own. It also observes that the potential of one in five labour migrants currently goes unused. Historically labour migration has come with abuses in housing and social provisions, and a small group of employers still takes advantage of migrants' vulnerable position, according to the report.