Accountancy firms have started recruiting accountants from abroad, as there is a shortage in this type of profession in the Netherlands.
This practice is popular among larger accountancy companies in the country, but now, even the smaller firms have started to explore their opportunities to bring workers to fill in market gaps, Schengen.News reports.
According to BNR, these firms have turned their attention to labour markets in Asia and Africa – South Africa and Namibia especially – while open calls for workers in the Netherlands often remain unanswered for months.
Will Outsourcing Impact the Quality of Work Among Accountants in the Netherlands?
While accounting firms are content with their solution to find workers abroad, some say this could impact the quality of services offered.
Accountancy firms say that it is a great career opportunity for those people, but professors warn that it can put pressure on quality.
PWC, one of the leading accountancy firms in the Netherlands, is estimated to have around 300 accountants from around the world working for them. The majority of them come from India, Pakistan, Cyprus, South Africa and Central and Eastern Europe. The FD reports that PwC had 130 employees in 2022 working from abroad.
FD quotes Professor of Accountancy Marcel Pheijffer, who previously warned that foreign employees do not necessarily lead to good quality.
The underlying goal is to achieve efficiency, scale and cost advantages and to manage the labour market problem.
However, another concern that threatens workers, not only those in the Netherlands but also remote workers, is AI. PwC believes that AI will reduce the number of foreign employees again in a few years, with the technology taking over.
Netherlands Granted 12% More Work Permits to Foreigners & Asylum Seekers Last Year
As data from the state jobs agency UWV reveals that the number of work permits granted to non-EU nationals – labour migrants and working students specifically, reached 20,172 in 2024, which is up by 12 per cent compared to the previous year.
Moreover, the number of work permits granted to asylum seekers in the Netherlands soared in 2024, with the UWV granting 9,281 work permits to this category. This figure is four times higher than in 2023.
According to articles by the NL Times, the increase in the number of permits for asylum seekers follows the restriction that permitted this group of foreigners to work only 24 weeks per year, which was abolished.
