Foreign firms invest more in the Netherlands, create fewer jobs
Foreign firms invested €3.2bn in the Netherlands last year, creating 6,304 new jobs, according to economic affairs ministry figures.
Despite the record investment, the new companies created fewer employment opportunities than in 2013. Then foreign investment totalled €1.7bn but created 8,500 new jobs.
In total, 187 new projects with foreign backing got off the ground in 2014. These included headquarters, production facilities and data centres.
The US remains the biggest foreign investor in the Netherlands and was responsible for 65 projects and 2,300 jobs. These included the new European HQ for Netflix in Amsterdam and a €600m Google server farm in Eemshaven, Groningen province.
China was in second place with 28 projects creating 500 jobs, followed by South Korea and India.
Wind power
Among the other notable projects was the €1.6bn investment by Canadian company Northland Power in a wind farm 85 kilometres from the Groningen coast.
The bulk of the new jobs, almost 2,300, went to Noord-Holland province. Flevoland, by contrast, added just 16 and Drenthe 10, the ministry figures show.
Between now and 2020, the Netherlands Foreign Investment Agency is to focus on attracting companies operating in the chemcials, agrifood, high tech, life sciences and health and IT sectors, the organisation said in a statement.
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