From 1 July 2026, the minimum hourly wage in the Netherlands for employees aged 21 and over is €14.99 gross per hour. This is an extremely important update for companies, especially those that use employment agencies and temporary workers. A higher hourly wage is not just a payroll update. It is only the starting point for a broader discussion about the real cost of staffing. That cost is also affected by CAO, allowances, overtime, housing, transport, turnover, coordination and the way cooperation with an employment agency is settled.
Table of contents
- What changes from 1 July 2026?
- Why is €14.99 only the starting point?
- What does this mean for companies using agencies?
- The role of an employment agency
4a. The role of Intraservis - FAQ
1. What changes from 1 July 2026?
The most important information is that from 1 July 2026, the minimum hourly wage in the Netherlands for employees aged 21+ is €14.99 gross per hour. This is already another increase during the year, as from 1 January 2026 the rate was €14.71.
The legal basis for this change was published in the Staatscourant. The regulation states that bruto wettelijk minimumuurloon per 1 juli 2026 is set at €14.99 per hour. The increase between the January and July rates for people aged 21 and over is, after rounding, 1.90%.
Companies must remember that these changes do not apply to only one age group. Ondernemersplein describes the change as applying to entrepreneurs employing staff from the age of 15. This means that the new rates apply not only to adult employees, but also to youth rates. The percentage increase, however, is the same.
When planning the budget, it is of course important to remember that minimum wage and youth minimum wage are indexed twice a year – on 1 January and 1 July. If a company uses a large number of hourly workers, even a relatively small change matters. It requires regular planning and review of labour costs.
2. Why is €14.99 only the starting point?
When discussing labour costs, it is easiest to focus on the minimum rate, because it is the most visible. However, €14.99 gross per hour does not answer the most important question for an employer: how much does stable staffing really cost?
Minimum wage Netherlands 2026 shows only the lowest wage level, but it does not show the full cost of an employee. At this point, it is worth remembering that, depending on the sector and the cooperation model, companies need to consider, among other things:
- applicable CAO,
- shift allowances,
- overtime,
- housing costs,
- transport,
- absences,
- turnover,
- coordination,
- costs of onboarding a replacement,
- the agency’s margin and settlement model.
That is why Ondernemersplein clearly warns that in a given sector, a higher minimum may apply because of a CAO. This is important because it clearly shows that, for companies, information about the statutory minimum wage Netherlands alone is not enough to compare offers from employment agencies.
For example, offers from two different employment agencies may seem almost identical because the basic rate is similar. However, the difference will be in the details – what is included in the price, how allowances are settled, what transport to work is provided, who is responsible for housing, who reacts to absences and how quickly the agency can fill gaps in staffing.
So the question is not only: “What is the rate?”. The question is: what exactly does the company get for that rate and how stable will the staffing be after work starts?
3. What does this mean for companies using agencies?
A very large number of companies in the Netherlands use temporary workers or cooperate with employment agencies. This means that access to candidates alone is not enough of an advantage. The quality of cooperation itself is more important.
After the second increase in the minimum wage in 2026, companies should look at the following three areas even more carefully.
The first area is cost transparency. A comparison may be misleading when an agency offer shows only the hourly rate. The offer should not omit elements such as CAO, allowances, transport, housing, absences or coordination. An offer that looks cheapest at the beginning may turn out to be the most expensive overall when turnover, gaps in the schedule and settlement problems appear.
The second area is employee stability. Quick resignations are more noticeable when labour costs are higher. The company’s cost is not only the hour of work itself, but also recruitment, onboarding, shift leaders’ time and schedule organisation. If temporary workers leave only a few days after starting work, the cost of staffing will increase – regardless of the original agency rate.
The third area is workforce planning. In production, logistics, horticulture, warehouses or food production, the demand for people often changes seasonally. With rising staffing costs, a company needs not only an agency that “provides people”, but a partner that helps maintain predictability: how many workers will be available, where they will be housed, how they will get to work, who coordinates them and what happens in case of absence.
4. The role of an employment agency and Intraservis B.V.
The increase in the minimum wage makes the differences between employment agencies more visible. This is when it becomes clear which agency only settles working hours and which agency helps the company better control the entire process.
A good employment agency should clearly show:
- what the employee cost consists of,
- how CAO and allowances are included,
- how transport and housing are organised,
- who is responsible for coordination,
- how quickly absences can be handled,
- how the risk of turnover is reduced,
- how communication with workers and the client is organised.
The points above should matter to companies. Especially to those that work with employment agencies and have noticed that the presence of workers alone is not enough of a solution. In the case of unstable staffing and turnover during a larger order or season, the problem will not always be only the rate. It may concern the entire model of cooperation and temporary staffing.
How does Intraservis help?
At Intraservis, we help employers build a temporary staffing model that is, above all, predictable. Simply providing workers is no longer enough. Coordination, transport, housing, documentation and communication also play an important role. Only combining all these elements into one coherent process creates cooperation that is truly worth considering.
Therefore, for companies that use agency services, the difference should not be visible in whether temporary workers are available, but in whether cooperation with the agency helps maintain stability, predictability and control over costs.
If your company in the Netherlands wants to plan staffing costs better after the minimum wage increase, at Intraservis we will help you build more predictable temporary staffing – from recruitment and coordination to the daily organisation of work.
5. FAQ
What is the minimum wage in the Netherlands from 1 July 2026?
From 1 July 2026, the minimum hourly wage in the Netherlands for employees aged 21 and over is €14.99 gross per hour.
Does €14.99 gross per hour show the full cost of an employee?
No. €14.99 gross per hour is the statutory minimum, so it is only the starting point. The full cost of an employee may also include CAO, shift allowances, overtime, transport, housing, coordination, absences, turnover and the cost of replacing an employee who leaves after a few days.
Why does the minimum wage in the Netherlands change on 1 July 2026?
The minimum wage in the Netherlands is indexed twice a year – on 1 January and 1 July. In the formal publication in the Staatscourant, it was indicated that the gross rate from 1 July is €14.99 per hour.
Can the rate in some sectors be higher than the statutory minimum?
Yes. In some sectors, the applicable CAO may provide for a higher rate than the statutory minimum wage.
What does the minimum wage increase mean for companies using temporary workers?
For companies using temporary workers, the increase in the minimum wage affects more than payroll. It also changes the way companies plan labour costs, compare agency offers, calculate overtime, organise transport, housing and coordination. A low rate in an employment agency’s offer does not always mean a lower cost of the entire cooperation.
How should companies compare employment agency offers after the minimum wage change?
It is worth checking not only the hourly rate, but also what is included in the cooperation model: CAO, allowances, transport, housing, coordination, speed of response to absences, worker stability and communication with the company. Two offers may look similar at the rate level, but differ in the real cost of staffing.
How does Intraservis help companies after the minimum wage increase?
Intraservis helps employers in the Netherlands build a more predictable temporary staffing model. This includes workforce planning, recruitment, worker coordination, support with housing and transport, documentation and better control over the real cost of cooperation – not only over the hourly rate itself.
