Poultry sector increases share of permanent jobs
Ondernemers sociëteit voedingsindustrie
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Poultry sector increases share of permanent jobs

  • 21 April 2026

The Dutch poultry meat sector is clearly shifting from flexible to permanent staff. New figures from industry organization NEPLUVI show that the share of agency workers is declining, while permanent jobs are increasing. This shift fits within a broader effort to improve working conditions.

Decline in agency workers becomes visible

Since 2025, the sector has been working on a structured action plan. The focus is on reducing reliance on agency workers and strengthening employment conditions. The first results are now becoming visible.

Between the fourth quarter of 2024 and the first quarter of 2026, the number of agency workers decreased by more than 500 FTE. At the same time, the number of employees in permanent positions increased by over 300 FTE. This marks a clear step toward more permanent contracts in the sector.

According to NEPLUVI, this development contributes to greater stability for employees and continuity for companies.

Ambition toward 80 percent permanent employment

The sector aims to continue this course in the coming years. The goal is to have approximately 80 percent of employees in permanent positions by 2029.

To achieve this, stricter certification and oversight of employment agencies are being implemented. A sector-wide reporting point for working conditions will also be introduced. In addition, monitoring of working conditions and incidents will be further tightened. Data plays an important role in steering risks and improvements.

Call for a targeted approach

NEPLUVI points out that the sector plays a limited role in the broader debate. Of the approximately 800,000 labor migrants in the Netherlands, less than 0.5 percent work in the poultry meat sector.

The industry organization therefore advocates a targeted approach instead of generic measures. Risk-based supervision at the company level would be more effective and balanced than a general ban on agency work. NEPLUVI intends to continue the current course in cooperation with the ministry.

Nepluvi.nl

Source: NEPLUVI