Onderzoeksprogramma Arbeidsmarkt Zorg en Welzijn

What Onderzoeksprogramma Arbeidsmarkt Zorg en Welzijn does

Onderzoeksprogramma Arbeidsmarkt Zorg en Welzijn (AZW) is a Dutch government-affiliated research program established in 1994 to provide authoritative labor market intelligence for the healthcare and welfare sectors. It is commissioned by the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport (VWS) in collaboration with a coalition of labor market sector funds, and is administered via FCB. AZW's mandate covers approximately 1.4 million employees across roughly 30,000 organizations, producing research used by policymakers, employers, and sector representatives to address chronic and worsening labor shortages projected to range from 72,000 workers in 2025 to 327,000 by 2035 absent intervention.

The program's core technical assets are the AZW Prognosemodel (a labor demand/supply forecasting engine developed with ABF Research), an AZW Datawarehouse aggregating sectoral data, Functiedata function-classification tables sourced from PFZW/PGGM pension funds, and CBS-conducted WNE/WGE employer and employee surveys. These power a public information platform (azwinfo.nl) and a community layer (AZW Clubhuis) where HR and management professionals engage with research. Recent publication streams include Scenario 2033 forecasts, technology adoption studies (88% employee technology use, two-thirds of organizations introducing new tech in the prior year), work pressure (werkdruk) analysis, function-mix studies, and dedicated research on self-employed (zzp) workers in the sector.

AZW does not operate a commercial business model. All research, data, and tools are made available free of charge as a public good, funded through the VWS ministry and labor market funds including StAZ, StAG, SofOkles, SSFH, JeugdZorg, SociaalWerk, KinderOpvang, OO-fonds GGZ, and AOVVT. Its partner network spans statistics agency CBS, research firms Panteia, Rebel Group, Newcom, and ABF, and RegioPlus regional collaborations. The program's strategic value is therefore as a public-policy intelligence platform, not as a revenue-generating enterprise.

Name

Onderzoeksprogramma Arbeidsmarkt Zorg en Welzijn

Legal name

Onderzoeksprogramma Arbeidsmarkt Zorg en Welzijn

Website

https://azwinfo.nl

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

AZW is a Dutch publicly funded research program, established 1994, that produces labor market intelligence for the healthcare and welfare sectors, covering ~1.4 million employees and 30,000 organizations via forecasting models, surveys, and a public information platform.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Healthcare Labor Market Research

NAICS

Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services (54169), Marketing Research and Public Opinion Polling (54191)

SIC

Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700), Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Workforce Data, Labor Market Intelligence (LMI) & Program Evaluation (EDAAAOAN)

akta.pro secondary industries

Business Intelligence, Reporting & Visualization Services (BPAEAHAD), Workforce Analytics, Reporting & Labor Cost Management (BPACAIAL)

Keywords

• Labor market research
• Healthcare workforce data
• Welfare sector analytics
• Workforce forecasting
• Regional labor market planning

Headquarters

HQ city

Utrecht

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Publicly funded research program: AZW is a government-funded research program collaboration between labor market funds and the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport (VWS), providing free information and research to the healthcare and welfare sector since 1994.

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

AZW collects, analyzes, and publishes labor market data, research, and forecasts for the Dutch healthcare and welfare sectors. Its core offering consists of an information website, a forecasting model (Prognosemodel Zorg en Welzijn), a data warehouse, a community platform (Clubhuis), and newsletters that help employers, educational institutions, and policymakers understand workforce supply and demand.

Product overview

AZW Info is a research information platform that serves as the central hub for the Arbeidsmarkt Zorg en Welzijn (Labor Market Healthcare and Welfare) program. The platform provides reliable labor market data and analysis through multiple integrated offerings: the core AZW Info Platform for accessing publications and news, the Prognosemodel for forecasting labor market scenarios, the Clubhuis community for professional networking, a Datawarehouse with statistics, and downloadable Functiedata tables from PFZW. Research products include the Werknemers- en Werkgeversenquête (employee/employer surveys), longreads on topics like zzp'ers (self-employed), technology adoption, work pressure, function mix shifts, and scenario analyses for the 2033 labor market. The program is a collaboration between labor market funds and the Dutch Ministry of Health (VWS).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Info website (AZW Info) Public information website providing news, research, and labor market publications for the Dutch healthcare and welfare sectors.
• Prognosemodel Zorg en Welzijn Proprietary forecasting model that projects labor market supply and demand in the Dutch healthcare and welfare sectors.
• Datawarehouse Centralized data warehouse aggregating labor market data for the Dutch healthcare and welfare sectors.
• Clubhuis Online community platform for stakeholders in the Dutch healthcare and welfare labor market to collaborate and share knowledge.
• Nieuwsbrief (Newsletter) Periodic email newsletter distributing labor market research, news, and updates to subscribers in the healthcare and welfare sector.

Quantifiable outcome

• Labor shortage projected to grow from 72,000 (2025) to 327,000 (2035) without intervention
• +2 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Ministerie van Volksgezondheid, Welzijn en Sport (VWS)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1994The Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport collaborates with labor market funds in the AZW program to provide reliable, independent information about the healthcare and welfare labor market. This partnership forms the foundation of the AZW program since 1994.
• Labor market funds (arbeidsmarktfondsen)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVarious labor market funds collaborate in the AZW program including StAZ (arbeidsmarkt gehandicaptenzorg), StAG, SofOkles, SSFH, JeugdZorg, SociaalWerk, KinderOpvang, OO-fonds GGZ, and AOVVT.
• Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek (CBS)coreTechnology or IntegrationCBS conducts labor market surveys (werkgeversenquête and werknemersenquête) as part of the AZW program, providing the statistical foundation for labor market analyses.
• ABF ResearchcoreTechnology or IntegrationABF Research developed the Prognosemodel Zorg en Welzijn in opdracht van the Ministry of VWS for AZW partners and RegioPlus, used for labor market forecasting.
• PanteiamajorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerResearch agency commissioned by AZW to conduct research on zzp'ers (self-employed) in healthcare and welfare, bringing together available data and research to provide a nuanced picture.
• Rebel GroupmajorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerResearch and advisory firm commissioned by AZW to execute scenario analysis for the labor market in healthcare and welfare 2033.
• NewcommajorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerResearch agency commissioned by AZW to conduct research on technology in healthcare and welfare, surveying professionals about their experiences with technology in the workplace.
• FCB (Fundamentum Centrum voor Beleidsonderzoek)minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerAdministrative contact for AZW program, handling correspondence and privacy-related matters for the research program.
• Pensioenfonds Zorg en Welzijn (PFZW) / PGGMcoreTechnology or IntegrationPFZW provides function data (functiedata) through PGGM, delivering quarterly updated tables on function mix and labor mobility by branch and region since Q1 2019.
• RegioPlusminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional partnership network collaborating with AZW and VWS on labor market research and forecasting through the Prognosemodel.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• ManpowerGroup: Global workforce solutions company publishing the ManpowerGroup Employment Outlook survey and talent shortage reports across sectors including healthcare. A broader incumbent producing internationally comparable labor market intelligence at scale.
• Randstad: Global staffing and workforce solutions firm that publishes Randstad Employer Brand Research and salary guides with sector-level labor market signals. A broader incumbent whose healthcare talent data and market commentary overlap with AZW's audience, but is not Dutch-only or healthcare-specialized.

Direct peers

• Nivel (Netherlands Institute for Health Services Research): Leading Dutch health services research institute producing longitudinal data on healthcare workforce, care delivery, and patient outcomes. Directly comparable as a healthcare-sector research organization serving policymakers with similar evidence-based reporting.
• RegioPlus: National network of regional labor market partnerships in healthcare and welfare, co-developing AZW's Prognosemodel. Directly comparable as a healthcare-workforce stakeholder organization producing regional labor market analyses.
• Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek (CBS): The Dutch national statistics office, which produces the healthcare workforce employer and employee surveys that feed AZW's analyses. Directly comparable as a producer of authoritative Dutch labor market statistics, with overlapping audiences and methodology.
• Kiwa (Kiwa Carity): Certification and advisory group including Kiwa Carity, which produces healthcare-sector labor market and capacity research for Dutch care organizations. Comparable as a research-led provider of healthcare workforce benchmarks and policy-relevant insights.
• ABF Research: Dutch sectoral economic research firm that built the Prognosemodel Zorg en Welzijn for AZW. Highly comparable as a provider of quantitative labor market and sectoral forecasts in the Netherlands, including construction, ICT, and education segments.
• UWV (Uitvoeringsinstituut Werknemersverzekeringen): Dutch employee insurance agency that publishes labor market data, shortage occupations lists (kansberoepen), and regional workforce insights. Closely comparable as a public-sector producer of Dutch labor market intelligence for job seekers, employers, and policymakers.

Others

• WHO Health Workforce Department: WHO team producing global health workforce statistics, code of practice, and labor market projections. Thematically adjacent — operates in the same health-workforce intelligence domain but at a global governance level rather than as a Netherlands-specific research provider.

Regional players

• OECD Health Division: International organization publishing cross-country health workforce statistics (doctors, nurses, graduates) used by European policymakers. Comparable as a producer of comparable health workforce data, though focused on international benchmarking rather than the Dutch national market.

Market position

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/azwinfo

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Onderzoeksprogramma Arbeidsmarkt Zorg en Welzijn