Report reveals Amsterdam’s startups employ more people than ever

Continuing to create jobs despite turbulent times

The fifth edition of the Amsterdam Startup Employment Report was compiled by Dealroom in partnership with StartupAmsterdam and delves into the scale of employment and emerging trends in Amsterdam’s startup ecosystem. 

The report reveals that Amsterdamʼs homegrown startups are responsible for over 49,000 jobs in the city, adding over 16,000 new jobs since 2017. An array of 260+ foreign startups add another 23,500 jobs, making the ecosystem as a whole responsible for around 72,000 jobs total. 

Not only do the city’s startups employ more people than ever, but job creation this year is up over previous years. In 2022, local startups were responsible for creating 49,200 jobs, representing a +6% year-on-year increase. Growth has come particularly from the ecosystemʼs oldest (founded between 1990-2005) and youngest (founded in the last 5 years) companies.

Fintech remains on top, but foodtech and energy are growing fast

When it comes to the top sectors, fintech remains the largest startup employer in the Amsterdam ecosystem, responsible for over 20% of all jobs in the city and adding 1,200 jobs in the last year. Local success stories like Adyen, Mollie and bunq continue to drive this growth trend. 

Travel has also made a full post-pandemic recovery, growing employment this year by 16% and now employing more people than the previous peak in 2019 (7,200 jobs YTD vs 6,900 jobs in 2019). Followed by transport, these 3 sectors account for over 21,200 jobs in the startup ecosystem. 

Furthermore, the recent successes of foodtech startups such as Just Eat Takeaway, Picnic and Crisp have also driven job growth in Amsterdam, increasing employment by 19%. The energy sector is close behind at 18% annualised job growth in the last year. 

Making an impact in Amsterdam and beyond

Beyond the top sectors, thereʼs a new generation of startups contributing to a better society or environment. These impact startups are responsible for a growing number of jobs. According to the report, the 180 analysed impact startups provide 5300 local jobs, comprising 11% of total startup employment. This number is only expected to increase in future years. 

Bas Beekman, Program Director at StartupAmsterdam, says, “With this report, we’re happy to notice that not only have impact-driven tech startups in the Amsterdam region been on a rapid upward trajectory when it comes to funding, but also have shown double increase in the number of jobs created since 2017. This data, once again, shows just how important local startups and scaleups are for the local economy – pandemic, recession, lay-offs, and all, startups and scaleups continue creating jobs with a 6% annual increase.”

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