Higher disposable incomes for households

© ANP
In the second quarter of 2016, Dutch households had more to spend than in the same quarter last year. Real disposable income was up by 2.1 percent year-on-year. An upward trend has been recorded for over a year now, according to figures released by Statistics Netherlands (CBS).

 

Higher incomes due to higher compensation of employees

Disposable income mainly rose on account of raised compensations for employees and higher revenues from manufacturing activities. Total employee compensation increased by 1.8 percent in the second quarter. Compared to one year previously, the number of employee jobs went up by 1.6 percent. The number of jobs rose most rapidly in the temporary agency sector and in job placement services. Wages per year of work also increased in the second quarter by 1.3 percent year-on-year. Self-employed saw their incomes rise by 4.7 percent year-on-year. Household incomes rose in spite of higher taxes and social security contributions.

Mortgage debt rising again

Total mortgage debt of all households combined came to 662 billion euros in the second quarter of 2016. This was 9.8 billion euros more than one year previously. Total mortgage debt had been declining for several years as relatively large amounts were redeemed and fewer new mortgages were taken out, but it has now been on the rise for five consecutive quarters. One major contributing factor is sustained improvement in the housing market. In the second quarter of 2016, nearly 24 percent more houses were sold than in the same period in 2015 and sale prices were on average 4.4 percent higher.


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