Number of self-employed falls for seven quarters in a row – the classification question remains per assignment
On 30 October 2026 Statistics Netherlands (CBS) reported that the number of self-employed without staff fell by 11,000 in the third quarter of 2026. According to CBS, the number has now fallen for seven quarters in a row.
The figures
The number of self-employed with staff fell by 4,000; almost 1.5 million people had self-employment as their main job. The number of employees on flexible contracts fell by 8,000 to just over 2.7 million. The number on permanent contracts, in CBS terms an open-ended contract with fixed hours, rose by 10,000. According to provisional figures, temporary employment agencies added 6,000 jobs, more than any other sector. CBS gives no explanation for the fall in the number of self-employed in this release.
Statistics are not classification
CBS counts self-employed persons and employees as statistical categories. For clients, each assignment still requires first the interpretation of the agreement and then its classification: is it an employment contract within the meaning of Article 7:610 Dutch Civil Code? The courts assess this on the basis of all circumstances (Supreme Court 24 March 2023, Deliveroo), with external entrepreneurship as a full-fledged factor (Supreme Court 21 February 2025).
Practical tips
Base your hiring policy on an assessment per assignment, not on trends.
Record the agreements and pay attention to how they are carried out in practice.
Include the contractor's entrepreneurship in the assessment.
Read the original: Statistics Netherlands, 30 October 2026
Read more about bogus self-employment in our knowledge base.
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This blog provides general information and is not legal advice. For advice on a specific situation, please contact us.
