Foreign companies based or with branches in the Netherlands are employing fewer Dutch staff, according to research by the economic affairs ministry. The number of Dutch workers at foreign-owned companies fell by 2.4% to 535,000 last year, the ministry said. In total, 5,380 foreign-owned firms were located in the Netherlands, up 1.4% on 2004.
The figures also include Dutch companies which have been taken over by foreign companies or private investors. For example, Dutch flagship airline KLM now counts as a foreign company since its takeover by Air France in 2005. Some 30% of foreign-owned companies are in US hands, while 19% are owned by Germans.