The number of empty shops and offices in the Netherlands grew further last year, with the vacancy rate increasing by one percentage point, according to the Dutch environmental assessment agency.

Some 17% of offices and 9% of shops are now empty, the PBL said on Tuesday. More than 50% of the offices have been empty for at least three years, as have over one-third of the shops.

The economic crisis and structural changes are having an impact on the vacancy rates, the PBL said. The increasing use of IT – online shopping and teleworking – will lead to a structural reduction in demand for office and shop space.

Some 20% of new retail space is empty but most new offices are let as developers have become more choosy about what they build.