The Dutch labour market is experiencing persistent structural shortages, and the Netherlands is expected to become increasingly dependent on newcomers to sustain economic growth (UWV, 2024). Despite this structural reliance, labour market participation among asylum seekers remains comparatively low, and many are concentrated in temporary or low-skilled employment. This underutilisation represents both a social integration challenge and a missed economic opportunity. While language barriers, discrimination, and the limited recognition of foreign qualifications remain persistent obstacles producing unequal labour market outcomes, this policy brief argues that insufficient access to diverse and high-quality social and professional networks can be a route to tackling structural challenges to labour market inclusion. Research on “bridging social capital” demonstrates that connections across socio-economic and ethnic boundaries significantly improve employment prospects.
Contact the authors:
jelena.meiering@ru.nl
ruben.piest@ru.nl
nadia.arbinger@ru.nl
rayza.zander@ru.nl
colleen.boland@ru.nl