Strictness of employment protection — Individual dismissals in Netherlands
Netherlands: Strictness of employment protection — Individual dismissals was 3.61 0-6 scale in 2025. ▲ Rising
Strictness of employment protection — Individual dismissals in Netherlands, 1985–2025
Source: Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Measured in 0-6 scale.
Analysis
In 2025, strictness of employment protection — individual dismissals in Netherlands stood at 3.61 0-6 scale. That is the highest value across all 41 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 11.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, strictness of employment protection — individual dismissals in Netherlands peaked at 3.61 0-6 scale in 2019 and was at its lowest, 3.24 0-6 scale, in 2009.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 41 years of available data.
Strictness of employment protection — Individual dismissals in Netherlands, year by year
| Year | 0-6 scale | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1985 | 3.37 0-6 scale | — |
| 1986 | 3.37 0-6 scale | +0.0% |
| 1987 | 3.37 0-6 scale | +0.0% |
| 1988 | 3.39 0-6 scale | +0.5% |
| 1989 | 3.39 0-6 scale | +0.0% |
| 1990 | 3.4 0-6 scale | +0.5% |
| 1991 | 3.4 0-6 scale | +0.0% |
| 1992 | 3.4 0-6 scale | +0.0% |
| 1993 | 3.47 0-6 scale | +1.9% |
| 1994 | 3.3 0-6 scale | -4.8% |
| 1995 | 3.25 0-6 scale | -1.4% |
| 1996 | 3.25 0-6 scale | +0.0% |
| 1997 | 3.25 0-6 scale | +0.0% |
| 1998 | 3.25 0-6 scale | +0.0% |
| 1999 | 3.3 0-6 scale | +1.5% |
| 2000 | 3.3 0-6 scale | +0.0% |
| 2001 | 3.3 0-6 scale | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 3.3 0-6 scale | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 3.3 0-6 scale | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 3.3 0-6 scale | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 3.3 0-6 scale | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 3.3 0-6 scale | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 3.3 0-6 scale | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 3.3 0-6 scale | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 3.24 0-6 scale | -1.9% |
| 2010 | 3.24 0-6 scale | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 3.24 0-6 scale | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 3.24 0-6 scale | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 3.24 0-6 scale | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 3.24 0-6 scale | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 3.24 0-6 scale | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 3.44 0-6 scale | +6.4% |
| 2017 | 3.44 0-6 scale | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 3.44 0-6 scale | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 3.61 0-6 scale | +4.8% |
| 2020 | 3.61 0-6 scale | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 3.61 0-6 scale | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 3.61 0-6 scale | +0.0% |
| 2023 | 3.61 0-6 scale | +0.0% |
| 2024 | 3.61 0-6 scale | +0.0% |
| 2025 | 3.61 0-6 scale | +0.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 3.38 0-6 scale | 3.37 0-6 scale | 3.39 0-6 scale | 5 |
| 1990s | 3.33 0-6 scale | 3.25 0-6 scale | 3.47 0-6 scale | 10 |
| 2000s | 3.3 0-6 scale | 3.24 0-6 scale | 3.3 0-6 scale | 10 |
| 2010s | 3.34 0-6 scale | 3.24 0-6 scale | 3.61 0-6 scale | 10 |
| 2020s | 3.61 0-6 scale | 3.61 0-6 scale | 3.61 0-6 scale | 6 |
Countries ranked near Netherlands
More work & labour data for Netherlands
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 32 - Employment by 655.76 Persons (2022)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 32 - Employment by 433.18 Persons (2022)
- Employed persons by job tenure and NUTS 2 region 9,833 Thousand persons (2025)
- Labour force participation rates by educational attainment level 85.6% (2025)
- Population in private households by citizenship, labour status and 13,426 Thousand persons (2025)
- Population in private households by country of birth, labour status 13,426 Thousand persons (2025)
- Labour force participation rates by educational attainment level 85.6% (2025)
- Average actual weekly hours worked in the main job of persons who 30.4 Hour (2025)
- Employed persons by educational attainment level and NUTS 2 region 9,833 Thousand persons (2025)
- Employed persons by professional status and NUTS 2 region 9,833 Thousand persons (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is strictness of employment protection — individual dismissals in Netherlands?
- Strictness of employment protection — individual dismissals in Netherlands was 3.61 0-6 scale in 2025, according to Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.
- What is the highest strictness of employment protection — individual dismissals recorded in Netherlands?
- The highest recorded value was 3.61 0-6 scale in 2019.
- What is the lowest strictness of employment protection — individual dismissals recorded in Netherlands?
- The lowest recorded value was 3.24 0-6 scale in 2009.
- How does Netherlands rank for strictness of employment protection — individual dismissals?
- Netherlands ranks 1st out of 7 countries with data for 2025.
- Is strictness of employment protection — individual dismissals rising or falling in Netherlands?
- Over the last ten years it is up 11.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Netherlands data come from?
- The figures come from Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, published as part of Strictness of employment protection — Individual dismissals (regular contracts). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
The OECD indicators of employment protection are synthetic indicators of the strictness of regulation on dismissals and the use of temporary contracts. For each year, indicators refer to regulation in force on the 1st of January. For more information and full methodology, see OECD Indicators of Employment Protection webpage Last data update: May 2022 OECD statistics contact: ELS.Contact@oecd.org