THE HAGUE, 18/08/06 - The number of foreign company establishments in the Netherlands rose by 1.5 percent to 5,380 in 2005 from 2004. But the number of jobs at these actually fell by over 2 percent to 535,000.

Economic Affairs State Secretary Karien van Gennip has sent the Lower House the report Operations of Foreign Companies in the Netherlands in 2005. The report was drawn up for the ministry's Foreign Investment in the Netherlands directorate (DBIN). It contains an overview of all foreign establishments in the Netherlands providing at least five jobs.

The Randstad region, containing the four biggest cities, houses 57 percent of jobs at foreign establishments (over 300,000). In second place comes Noord-Brabant province with 15 percent (nearly 79,000). The northern provinces (Groningen, Friesland, Drenthe) together account for just 5 percent of the 'foreign' employment.

The US 'supplies' around 1,600 establishments and over 30 percent of total foreign employment. The UK comes second in the number of foreign jobs created (16 percent), ahead of Germany at 13 percent. Asia supplies nearly 550 establishments, responsible for 7 percent of the jobs. The most important Asian donor country is Japan (320 establishments).

The report pays special attention to the chemicals sector. Some 5 percent of the foreign jobs in the Netherlands are created by chemicals companies. These 280 establishments create over 25,000 jobs, of which over 17,000 are in production plants. The heart of the foreign chemicals industry is in Zuid-Holland: 35 percent of the jobs and 28 percent of the establishments are concentrated in this province, partly due to the presence of the Rotterdam port.

Production and assembly plants (1,400) still supply the biggest share of employment (35 percent). Office establishments, such as head offices, sales and marketing offices and back offices, are good for over one-third of the jobs. The Netherlands has over 450 head offices of foreign companies, with 87,000 jobs. Another 21 percent of the jobs are in distribution and wholesaling.

The most employment at foreign companies is provided by ICT: 13 percent. Logistics scores 12 percent, and business services, 10 percent. Van Gennip will present new plans for attracting foreign companies shortly.