Family businesses account for nearly a third of Dutch employee jobs

Family businesses accounted for 2.8 million employee jobs in the Netherlands in 2024, or 31 per cent of the total, according to new figures from Statistics Netherlands (CBS).

The figures refer to jobs, not the number of people employed. At the start of 2024, the country had almost 300,000 family businesses. CBS defines a family business as one in which a family holds a majority of control — or at least 25 per cent in a listed company — and is formally involved in its management.

The share of employee jobs at family businesses varied sharply by industry. It was highest in agriculture, forestry and fishing, at 73 per cent, followed by vehicle sales and repair at 69 per cent and hospitality at 63 per cent. In government and healthcare, the figure was 8 per cent.

Family businesses were generally small: 85 per cent had between two and 10 people working for them. They were also more likely than non-family businesses to have been established for at least 30 years: 19 per cent, compared with 9 per cent.

Employees at family businesses were younger on average. Almost a third were under 25, against 22 per cent at non-family businesses. CBS says this difference is partly explained by the greater importance of retail and hospitality among family businesses, sectors that employ relatively many young people.