Dutch salaries have gone down proportionally when compared with the increase in productivity since the start of the economic crisis, according to new figures from national statistics office CBS.

Dutch workers have been increasingly productive for years, the CBS says. The economy has grown in size but the number of working hours has shrunk due to automation, better education and more efficient production processes.

Nevertheless, the rise in self-employment and short-term contracts has reduced the pressure on employers to put up wages, the CBS says. Since 2009, productivity has risen by around 0.8% a year but average wages have gone down by 0.1%, despite pay rises to cover inflation.