Lack of digital skills widely felt by Dutch ecommerce employers

Nine out of ten Dutch employers in ecommerce are missing digital skills among the people who work for them. Especially in the areas of cybersecurity and innovative technologies, the shortcomings are significant. Employers expect that in the coming years, it will remain difficult to keep up with the development pace of AI.

This is according to labor market research conducted by research and consultancy firm Panteia on behalf of Thuiswinkel.org, the trade association for online sellers in the Netherlands. Ecommerce sales hit 17.5 million euros in the country in the first half of this year.

Many freelancers

The Dutch ecommerce market is characterized by a large number of self-employed individuals. According to the most recent figures from the national statistics bureau CBS, there were 138,400 employed people working for ‘pure players,’ Dutch companies that primarily sell via the internet, in 2022. Of these, 48,000 were employed by a company. The remaining individuals, nearly two-thirds, worked as freelancers.

Job vacancy trends

After a strong growth in the number of vacancies, the growth rate of vacancies at Dutch ecommerce companies has slowed. Nevertheless, the number of vacant positions continues to rise, reports Panteia. The demand for online marketers, customer service employees, and marketing staff is the highest. “A slight growth in vacancies is expected for the coming six months, particularly for software developers”, according to the research firm.

Especially the demand for software developers is growing.

Currently, 23% of Dutch ecommerce employers have hard-to-fill vacancies. The main causes are a lack of applicants, insufficient work experience, and high salary demands. Particularly vacancies at senior and specialist levels are difficult to fill.

Lack of digital skills

The perceived lack of digital skills among approximately 90 percent of employers stands out. According to Panteia, training and education for current staff in areas such as cybersecurity, innovative technologies like AI, and digital business skills should be a priority. To close the skills gap, companies can also acquire the necessary knowledge externally.

AI reskilling and upskilling

“The influence of AI on the labor market is enormous”, says Marlene ten Ham, general director of Thuiswinkel.org, in response to the study. “This research shows that many employers are lacking AI skills.” According to Ten Ham, it is crucial that the business sector works closely with education to improve alignment with workplace needs. “We also urge the government to invest in the reskilling and upskilling of employees in the field of AI.”