Businesses face growing shortage of staff
At the start of Q3, 25 percent of enterprises in the non-financial private sector were facing impediments to their business operations as a result of understaffing. The number of enterprises reporting shortages has increased significantly during the past period. At the start of 2016, less than a mere 5 percent of enterprises reported staff shortages as being an impediment. The share has risen continuously since then, to over 25 percent in Q3 of this year.
Non-financial private sector (% of companies) | ||
---|---|---|
2012 | I | 3.7 |
2012 | II | 3.9 |
2012 | III | 4.2 |
2012 | IV | 4.1 |
2013 | I | 2.7 |
2013 | II | 2.8 |
2013 | III | 2.5 |
2013 | IV | 3.1 |
2014 | I | 2.5 |
2014 | II | 2.8 |
2014 | III | 3.3 |
2014 | IV | 3.7 |
2015 | I | 2.7 |
2015 | II | 3.1 |
2015 | III | 4.3 |
2015 | IV | 5.3 |
2016 | I | 4.6 |
2016 | II | 5.4 |
2016 | III | 6.7 |
2016 | IV | 8.3 |
2017 | I | 8.7 |
2017 | II | 10.4 |
2017 | III | 15.6 |
2017 | IV | 16.5 |
2018 | I | 18.4 |
2018 | II | 20.0 |
2018 | III | 25.2 |
Source: CBS, EIB, KvK, MKB-Nederland, VNO-NCW |
Significant understaffing in construction, services and transport
For the first time since 2008, the construction sector has the highest likelihood of lacking staff among all sectors, with 39 percent of entrepreneurs reporting the deficits as a hindering factor in their construction activities, up from 19 percent in Q2. Personnel shortages are also relatively large in the business services and in the sector transport and storage.
Staffing deficits (% of companies) | |
---|---|
Non-financial private sector | 25.2 |
Construction | 38.9 |
Business services | 34.5 |
Transport and storage | 31.8 |
Information and communication | 29.3 |
Hotels and restaurants | 25.9 |
Manufacturing | 20.6 |
Trade | 15.2 |
Real estate, renting and business activities | 14.8 |
Agriculture, forestry and fisheries | 14 |
Mining and quarrying | 6.7 |
Source: CBS, EIB, KvK, MKB-Nederland, VNO-NCW |
Business confidence
The business confidence indicator came to 15.0 at the start of Q3, up by 0.8 points on Q2. Since 2014, the entrepreneurial confidence indicator has been positive without interruption; it has more or less retained the current high level since the start of 2017.
Business confidence | ||
---|---|---|
2012 | I | -6.3 |
2012 | II | -6.8 |
2012 | III | -8.6 |
2012 | IV | -9.2 |
2013 | I | -10.7 |
2013 | II | -11.7 |
2013 | III | -8.7 |
2013 | IV | -2.7 |
2014 | I | 1.6 |
2014 | II | 4.7 |
2014 | III | 2.9 |
2014 | IV | 4.9 |
2015 | I | 5.6 |
2015 | II | 5.4 |
2015 | III | 8.7 |
2015 | IV | 7.4 |
2016 | I | 9.3 |
2016 | II | 8.8 |
2016 | III | 7.9 |
2016 | IV | 9.2 |
2017 | I | 14.7 |
2017 | II | 15.5 |
2017 | III | 15.9 |
2017 | IV | 13.4 |
2018 | I | 18.1 |
2018 | II | 14.2 |
2018 | III | 15.0 |
Source: CBS, EIB, KvK, MKB-Nederland, VNO-NCW |
Highest confidence in construction and wholesale
In the construction sector, entrepreneurial confidence came to 32.5 at the start of Q3, up by several points on Q2 (27.1). Wholesale entrepreneurs are likewise in a more positive mood than average with business confidence at 20.0, over two points higher than in Q2. Confidence among entrepreneurs in vehicle distribution and repair deteriorated from 6.7 in Q2 to -0.8 at the start of Q3.
Ondernemersvertrouwen | |
---|---|
Non-financial private sector | 15 |
Construction | 32.5 |
Wholesale and commission trade | 27.8 |
Information and communication | 24.6 |
Business services | 20.2 |
Hotels and restaurants | 12.3 |
Retail trade (excl. cars) | 8.6 |
Transport and storage | 7.6 |
Real estate, renting and business activities | 6.7 |
Manufacturing | 6.3 |
Vehicle distribution and repair | -0.8 |
Mining and quarrying | -20.5 |
Source: CBS, EIB, KvK, MKB-Nederland, VNO-NCW |
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