Article · 20 August 2026 · 3 min
68.500 unfilled healthcare vacancies: what that means for your practice.
Statistics Netherlands counted 68.500 unfilled vacancies at healthcare providers in the second quarter. A quarter earlier the figure was 68.400.
The number of unfilled vacancies in healthcare rose to 68.500 in the second quarter, Statistics Netherlands reports on the basis of provisional figures. A quarter earlier the count stood at 68.400. That is a difference of a hundred vacancies — barely any movement, but a high level that stays exactly where it was.
What the figure actually says
Statistics Netherlands measures unfilled vacancies at healthcare providers: roles for which employers are actively looking for staff. From 68.400 to 68.500 in one quarter is a minimal rise, and the figures are still provisional. So the story is not in the growth but in the level: almost 70.000 positions that are not filled.
Honestly: this is a figure for healthcare as a whole. Hospitals, elderly care, mental health, disability care — dental care is a small part of that. You cannot read off this number how many dentists, dental hygienists or prevention assistants are being sought. Anyone who does is talking themselves up or down without evidence.
Why it is relevant to dental care anyway
What you can take from it: the healthcare labour market stays tight. Practices and institutions compete for the same working population. For dental staff that applies above all to support roles — assistants and reception or front-office staff can move into other healthcare sectors without much retraining.
For a practice, a persistently high vacancy level means two things:
- Vacancies stay open longer. Don’t count on filling one quickly because the market “is bound to turn at some point”. There is nothing in these figures to suggest it will.
- Your advert has to make the difference. With tens of thousands of others open, the quality of your offer and your text decides whether anyone responds.
What to actually do with this
Plan your staffing further ahead
In a market that stays tight, a vacancy you only open once someone leaves is too late. Do you know about a pregnancy, a house move or an approaching retirement? Then start looking the moment you know, not the moment the gap appears.
Budget for a bridging option
If a permanent vacancy stays open for months, the question is not whether you will find someone but how you bridge the gap. Locum work, secondment or interim cover are then not an emergency exit but a planning tool. With clear agreements on rate, duration and duties, though — otherwise the bridge becomes the problem.
Look critically at your own text
In a tight market, an advert that gets no responses is rarely a candidate problem. More often it is unclear what the job involves, how many hours it is, what is on offer and why anyone would want to work for you.
Don’t lose sight of your current team
The cheapest answer to a tight market is not having to replace anyone. With almost 70.000 unfilled healthcare vacancies, your staff have options. That is not a threat, but it is a reason to take terms, workload and scheduling seriously before someone starts looking of their own accord.
In short
68.500 unfilled healthcare vacancies is not a shock — it is the same tightness as last quarter. Which is exactly what makes it useful: it gives no reason whatsoever to wait for the market to cooperate. Anyone who sets up their staffing now for longer lead times and flexible bridging will be in better shape in six months than someone hoping for a turnaround.
Sources
Questions about your own situation?
This article is general; your practice or your career is not. Put your question to us — you get an honest answer, including when that is “don’t do it”.