The Netherlands’ Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS) reports a growing number of Dutch employees are working beyond their state pension age (AOW). In the second quarter of 2026, 1.7 percent of the workforce was over the AOW age, an increase from 1.2 percent in the first quarter of 2018. The real estate rental and trade sector has the highest percentage of workers continuing past AOW, with 4.3 percent, followed by transport and storage at 3.6 percent. The public administration and government services sector has the lowest rate, at 0.6 percent, often due to automatic termination of employment upon reaching AOW age. Men are more likely to work past retirement than women, with 2.3 percent of male workers and 1.1 percent of female workers exceeding the AOW age. Reasons for continuing to work include enjoying the job, combating boredom, and feeling useful, according to the Netherlands Institute for Social Research (NIDI).