Dutch Accounting Firms Turn to Global Talent as Local Shortages Persist

As the Netherlands continues to face a shortage of accounting professionals, many Dutch firms are increasingly turning to labour markets in Asia and Africa, particularly South Africa and Namibia, to fill vacancies. According to BNR, local recruitment efforts often yield no results, with open accounting positions in the Netherlands remaining unfilled for months.

PwC Among Firms Hiring International Accountants

Leading firm PwC Netherlands has become one of the most visible adopters of this strategy. It is estimated that the company now employs around 300 foreign accountants, primarily from India, Pakistan, Cyprus, South Africa, and parts of Central and Eastern Europe. In 2022, FD reported that 130 of these workers were already working remotely for PwC.

While outsourcing has helped ease workforce shortages, it has also raised concerns. Professor of Accountancy Marcel Pheijffer cautioned in a previous FD interview that hiring from abroad does not automatically guarantee quality, stressing the importance of local context and professional standards.

AI on the Horizon: A Double Threat

The reliance on foreign talent may be short-lived. PwC has acknowledged that artificial intelligence (AI) is expected to replace a portion of foreign staff in the near future, as automation becomes more capable of handling core accounting tasks. This introduces new uncertainty for remote workers, both within the Netherlands and abroad.

Surge in Work Permits for Foreign Workers and Asylum Seekers

According to recent data from the Dutch state jobs agency UWV, the Netherlands granted 12% more work permits to non-EU nationals in 2024, including labour migrants and working students. A total of 20,172 work permits were issued last year, reflecting an ongoing need for foreign labour across multiple sectors.

Even more striking is the increase in work permits granted to asylum seekers, which reached 9,281 in 2024—a fourfold increase compared to 2023. This surge follows the lifting of a previous rule that restricted asylum seekers to working only 24 weeks per year.

As the Netherlands continues to balance its labour shortages with regulatory and technological shifts, the employment landscape for both foreign and domestic workers is poised for transformation.