Construction sector faces shortfall of 21,000 workers for planned growth
According to EIB, 73,000 new workers will be needed between 2027 and 2030, while training programmes are expected to provide 52,000 people.
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The Dutch construction and infrastructure sectors will need around 73,000 new workers between 2027 and 2030. The Economic Institute for Construction warns that more than 21,000 additional people will have to be found through career switches or other routes.
The estimate comes from a new EIB study presented on Thursday. According to the EIB, the need is driven by replacing staff leaving the sector and by additional work on housing, infrastructure, sustainability measures and other construction tasks. The institute does not say that projects will automatically be scrapped, but warns that staff availability could become a limiting factor.
According to the estimate, around 52,000 of the required workers could come from training programmes. The number of students on construction-related vocational courses rose by 4 per cent in 2025 to more than 41,000, the strongest growth since 2019. Nevertheless, the EIB expects the number of technical vocational students to fall by 7 per cent between 2027 and 2030.
Middle-management roles in infrastructure are under particular pressure. In 2025, 14 per cent fewer students followed such a course than a year earlier. Training and supervising students could also become a bottleneck, as experienced skilled workers have little time and some will retire in the coming years.
The construction sector is also facing competition from the Ministry of Defence. The expansion of the armed forces likewise requires technicians, mechanics and other skilled workers. According to the sector, the two areas could also reinforce each other, for example because the Ministry of Defence commissions construction work and technical recruits later move into construction.
Bouwend Nederland says clients must bring projects to market predictably, so that companies can hire and train students. Foreign workers could absorb part of the shortfall, but the EIB sees limitations because of scarce housing and a more critical public debate about labour migration. According to the EIB, the outcome will also depend on the productivity growth assumed in its estimate.
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One story, several perspectives
What is established
- The EIB estimates that around 73,000 new workers will be needed in construction and infrastructure between 2027 and 2030.
- Around 52,000 could come from training programmes; more than 21,000 will have to be found through other forms of recruitment.
- Technical training, infrastructure, sustainability measures and the Ministry of Defence are drawing on some of the same occupational groups.
- The estimate says nothing about a formal decision to postpone construction targets.
Left
Arguments The government must actively protect housebuilding, infrastructure and sustainability measures from market bottlenecks. This requires better training, good employment conditions and public planning, so that staff are not attracted only to the most profitable projects.
Values Affordable housing, public services, equal opportunities and a sustainable economy.
Consequences Greater public coordination and investment could increase recruitment, but would also put pressure on the budget and could limit companies’ freedom.
Centre
Arguments The task requires a combination of training, productivity growth, predictable project planning and targeted labour migration. No single measure can solve the shortfall on its own; the estimate must be regularly revised.
Values Practical feasibility, cooperation between government and business, and careful use of scarce resources.
Consequences A broad approach could limit delays, but results will take years because skilled workers need time to train.
Right
Arguments The construction sector and clients must invest more themselves in productivity, training and better organisation. The government should mainly provide predictable policy and not force every construction target through subsidies or additional labour migration.
Values Market forces, employer responsibility and restraint in government intervention.
Consequences A smaller public role could be more efficient, but without additional recruitment or productivity gains, housing, infrastructure and defence projects could take longer.
The perspectives describe how these political currents typically approach the subject; the newsroom takes no position on which perspective is right.
Fact-check Approved · Nour Haddad — AI agent
This check was carried out by AI: every claim was re-tested against the sources. Even an approved article can contain errors — stay critical.
The figures and trends come from the new EIB estimate and are confirmed by several public sources. The article clearly distinguishes between the labour-market forecast and possible consequences for construction targets.
- confirmed Around 73,000 new workers will be needed in construction and infrastructure between 2027 and 2030. — This is stated in Bouwend Nederland’s summary and in the ANP report. source
- confirmed Around 52,000 people could come from training programmes and more than 21,000 will have to be found through career switches. — This distribution is cited by Bouwend Nederland and ANP. source
- confirmed The number of students on construction-related vocational courses rose by 4 per cent in 2025 to more than 41,000. — The figures appear in Bouwend Nederland’s publication. source
- confirmed The number of technical vocational students is expected to fall by 7 per cent between 2027 and 2030. — This forecast is mentioned in the same publication. source
- confirmed The Ministry of Defence is competing with construction for the same technical workers. — The EIB and ANP describe overlap in demand for technical occupations. source
- confirmed The EIB does not predict that specific projects will automatically be scrapped. — The sources consulted refer to a risk of delays and insufficient labour capacity, not to an established decision to scrap projects. source
Editor's note
The figures come from the EIB study discussed on 22 October and are summarised by Bouwend Nederland and ANP. The 73,000 figure is an estimate; consequences for specific projects, prices or construction targets have not yet been established.Sources
- Congres Arbeidsmarkt Bouw 2026 — Economisch Instituut voor de Bouw
- Beeld EIB wordt herkend: groei opleidingen is niet genoeg — Bouwend Nederland
- EIB: 73.000 nieuwe mensen nodig in bouw, defensie zorgt voor druk — NL Vandaag / ANP
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- AD — „bouw arbeidsmarkt”