Negotiated wages rose less sharply in Q3 of 2025

© Hollandse Hoogte / Richard Brocken
Wages agreed under collective labour agreements rose by 4.6 percent in Q3 2025, year on year, compared to an increase of 6.8 percent in the same quarter of last year. After adjusting for the effect of inflation, negotiated wages were 1.6 percent higher in Q3 2025. Statistics Netherlands (CBS) reports this on the basis of newly released figures.

Negotiated wages
JaarKwartaalNegotiated hourly wages including special remuneration (year-on-year % change)
2015I1.3
2015II1.4
2015III1.4
2015IV1.5
2016I1.8
2016II1.8
2016III2.0
2016IV1.8
2017I1.3
2017II1.3
2017III1.4
2017IV1.5
2018I1.8
2018II1.8
2018III2.1
2018IV2.2
2019I2.3
2019II2.6
2019III2.7
2019IV2.8
2020I3.0
2020II2.8
2020III3.0
2020IV2.8
2021I2.2
2021II2.2
2021III1.9
2021IV1.9
2022I2.7
2022II3.0
2022III3.5
2022IV3.7
2023I5.6
2023II5.8
2023III6.3
2023IV6.8
2024I6.6
2024II6.4
2024III6.8
2024IV6.5
2025*I5.4
2025*II5.3
2025*III4.6
* provisional figures

Negotiated wages are hourly wages including special remuneration, such as holiday allowance. Public sector wages rose by the least, at 3.1 percent. This sector also saw the slowest growth rate in Q3 of 2024.

Wages rose by 4.8 percent in the private sector and by 5.1 percent among workers in subsidised institutions (healthcare institutions, primarily).

Change in negotiated wages, by sector
SectorQ3 2025* (year-on-year % change)Q3 2024 (year-on-year % change)
Subsidised institutions5.17.1
Private sector4.87.1
Total4.66.8
Public sector3.15.4
* provisional figures

Slowest growth rate in public administration

Negotiated wages rose by the least in the public sector, at 2.1 percent. In the same quarter of last year, wage growth in this sector was 7.7 percent, which was higher than average. The sharpest increase was seen in the information and communication sector, at 6.6. percent. A year earlier, wages in this sector rose by 6.2 percent, which was lower than average.

Growth in negotiated wages, by sector
BedrijfstakQ3 2025* (year-on-year % change)Q3 2024 (year-on-year % change)
Information and communication6.66.2
Rental and leasing5.18.1
Financial services5.05.2
Health and well-being5.08.2
Specialised business services4.96.5
Manufacturing4.86.7
Trade4.87.0
Accommodation and food services4.810.8
Culture, sports and recreation4.86.3
Total4.66.8
Energy supply4.64.4
Water supply and waste management4.54.8
Education4.52.1
Real estate activitie4.212.4
Agriculture, forestry and fishing4.17.9
Construction3.78.5
Other services3.69.7
Transportation and storage3.25.4
Public admin. and government services2.17.7
* provisional figures

Real wage growth of 1.6 percent

Adjusted for the effect of inflation, real term growth in negotiated wages was 1.6 percent in Q3 2025. At the same time, the rate of inflation has slowed. In the first half of 2025, real wage growth was 1.7 percent. In 2024, real collective wage growth was 3.3. percent.

Changes in negotiated wages
JaarKwartaalNegotiated hourly wages incl. special remuneration (year-on-year % change)Real-term growth in negotiated wages (year-on-year % change)
2015Q11.31.1
2015Q21.40.5
2015Q31.40.6
2015Q41.50.8
2016Q11.81.2
2016Q21.81.8
2016Q32.02.0
2016Q41.81.1
2017Q11.3-0.2
2017Q21.30.0
2017Q31.40.0
2017Q41.50.1
2018Q11.80.6
2018Q21.80.3
2018Q32.10.1
2018Q42.20.2
2019Q12.3-0.2
2019Q22.6-0.1
2019Q32.70.0
2019Q42.80.1
2020Q13.01.4
2020Q22.81.4
2020Q33.01.7
2020Q42.81.7
2021Q12.20.5
2021Q22.20.4
2021Q31.90.2
2021Q41.9-1.2
2022Q12.7-0.9
2022Q23-2.6
2022Q33.5-3.5
2022Q43.7-6.1
2023Q15.6-5.1
2023Q25.8-3.3
2023Q36.3-1.4
2023Q46.83.5
2024Q16.64.1
2024Q26.43.8
2024Q36.83.1
2024Q46.52.5
2025*Q15.41.7
2025*Q25.31.7
2025*Q34.61.6
* provisional figures

The provisional figures for Q3 2025 are based on 97 percent of the data collected on collective labour agreements to compile the statistic. Three-quarters of employed persons in the Netherlands are covered by a collective labour agreement.