One in five Dutch employees report work-related psychological exhaustion

In 2025, 21% of employees in the Netherlands said they felt psychologically exhausted by their work several times a month or more often, up from 13% a decade earlier, according to figures from Statistics Netherlands (CBS) and TNO.

The increase was larger among women: 24% reported work-related psychological exhaustion in 2025, compared with 14% ten years earlier. Among men, the share rose from 13% to 18% over the same period.

The figures come from the National Working Conditions Survey. It classifies employees as psychologically exhausted by work if they experience feelings of fatigue and exhaustion several times a month or more. Examples include feeling emotionally drained by work or empty at the end of the working day.

The overall figure was one percentage point higher than in 2024, when 20% of employees reported this level of work-related exhaustion. CBS also says the increase was greatest among women and employees under 45. Its summary notes that psychological complaints are the leading cause of absence from work after flu.