Economy
Figures - Enterprises
The number of companies has risen continuously in recent years, with the biggest increase in sole proprietors. In the second quarter of 2018, two out of three companies were sole proprietors, in 2008 that figure was just over half. As a legal form, the partnership is becoming less common among companies.
As in previous years, management consultancy firms accounted for most of the new enterprises founded in 2017, almost 13,000 in total. In addition, starters often set up a company in the education sector (e.g. almost 3,500 start-ups in sports education) or in tutoring or coaching (3,000 start-ups). Retail is also high on the list of start-ups, mainly thanks to the strong increase in the number of new webshops.
Many new companies also emerged in the arts sector. In outpatient healthcare, starters are mainly to be found in paramedic practices, among them dieticians, opticians, podiatrists, healthcare assistants and nurses (not home care).
The municipalities where most start-ups set up business are mainly located in and around the Netherlands’ four largest cities. With 187 businesses founded per 10,000 residents, the City of Amsterdam had the highest number, followed by Laren (164) and The Hague (134). Of the 20 municipalities with the fewest new start-ups, 18 are located on the Netherlands’ eastern or northern border. With 35 new businesses for every 10,000 residents, Loppersum and Appingedam are bottom of the table for start-ups established in 2017.
The percentage of companies with a minimum of 10 workers and a fast, fixed internet connection of at least 30 Mb/s rose from 36 percent to 67 percent between 2012 and 2017. Growth in the number of companies with an internet connection of 100 Mb/s or more was especially pronounced; from 8 percent (2012) to 28 percent (2017). The proportion of companies with a slow internet connection (less than 10 Mb/s) decreased by over half in the same period.
An increasing number of employees are taking advantage of teleworking opportunities. In 2017, 33 percent of employees regularly worked outside their company location. Seven years earlier, only 21 percent of employees did so.
A similar trend can be seen in staff using mobile internet supplied by the business that employs them. In 2017, 35 percent of employees used company laptops, tablets or smartphones in order to gain online access. A significant increase compared to 2010, when this applied to only 10 percent of employees.