The number of people with a call-out or zero hours contract in the Netherlands has risen by 33% over the past five years, the national statistics office CBS said on Tuesday.

In total, some 545,000 people have a contract without fixed hours, accounting for about 7% of the jobs on offer. Around half of them are at school or college and under the age of 25.

Of the students with a call-out contract, 64% want the flexibility of variable hours. By contrast, just 35% of the 25 to 35-year-olds appreciate the flexibility and around half say they have been unable to get a full-time job with a regular contract.

A quarter of the call-out contacts involve working in cafes, restaurants and elsewhere within the hospitality sector. Five years ago, the hospitality sector accounted for one in five call-out jobs.