Business services turnover was up by 5.6 percent in 2016. It was the third consecutive year of turnover growth relative to the previous year. Since 2007, business services turnover has risen by 19.1 percent. Dutch travel agents and tour operators realised over 90 percent more turnover in 2016 than ten years previously.

However, not all the industry sectors within business services achieved higher turnover; publishers and architects, for example, reported losses of more than 25 percent over this ten-year period.

In 2016, architectural firms posted their strongest turnover growth in ten years, namely 7.3 percent. It was the third consecutive year of growth; after hitting a record low in 2013, the firms are back on track but their turnover continues to be far below pre-crisis levels.

Turnover in the (temporary) staffing sector rose by 7.6 percent in 2016. Both turnover and hours fell sharply after the crisis of 2008 and growth was negative once again in 2012, one year before the 2013 economic downturn. Since 2014, temp hours and turnover have shown an upward trend again.