Employees and self-employed workers in the Netherlands captured a slightly higher share of corporate earnings in 2025, according to new figures from Statistics Netherlands.
The country’s labour income share, which measures the proportion of overall economic output going to compensation rather than business profits, reached 70.6 percent last year.
That represents a small increase from 70.4 percent in 2024, driven largely by recent collective wage hikes negotiated to offset elevated living costs.
Sectors driving the shift
Because pay gains outpaced net operating profits for many businesses, workers ended up with a larger slice of the revenue generated across the general economy.
The information and communication sector recorded the most significant shift, with its labour income share jumping from 77.2 percent to 82.3 percent in a single year.
Other areas that saw workers retain a larger share of earnings included agriculture, culture, sports, and recreational services.
Broader economic context
Not all industries followed this trend, as profits remained higher relative to wages in fields such as financial services, real estate, trade, and health care.
Data analysts note that service-heavy sectors naturally direct more revenue toward staff compensation because they rely more heavily on human labor than on heavy machinery or physical assets.
Despite the recent uptick, the portion of national income going to workers remains well below historical levels recorded decades ago, when it stood at 81.4 percent in 1995.
For residents living and working in Amsterdam, the data reflects how strong labor negotiations and rising baseline salaries have temporarily rebalanced earnings between employees and corporate bottom lines.
