On our response platform NUjij, visitors can discuss the news and ask the editors questions. We receive tens of thousands of responses per week and your contributions provide current statements, new articles and interesting questions every week. In this section we list the best reactions and questions.
1. Feared recession in the Netherlands does not materialize: ‘We don’t have to gloom’
At the end of last year, the Dutch economy turned out to be stronger than expected. In the last three months of 2022, the economy grew by 0.6 percent, after a small contraction in the previous quarter. Since the economy has not contracted for two quarters in a row, a recession has not materialised. Readers debated this.
- For example, Reader tells Ruud010 that he still makes ends meet in times of inflation. He sees the crisis more as a blessing than a curse: “I still have more than enough to spend with my average income without benefits, but also without children. But that is also (usually) a choice with consequences.”
“I did adjust my spending pattern, so I used less and used energy more consciously. Buy more from ALDI and Lidl than before. Totally fine, I should have done it sooner.”
“I consider this ‘crisis’ more of a blessing than a curse, because it has made me look critically at my own behavior and spending habits and there was still a lot of room for improvement.”
Readers continued to debate whether they see the energy and cost crisis as a blessing rather than a curse. To let you continue talking about this, we posted this statement as a statement on NUjij.
2. Muslims in particular bear the brunt of the lagging approach to discrimination in the labor market
Employment discrimination on the basis of origin has increased over the past fifty years, according to scientific research. As a result, Muslims in particular have less chance of finding a job.
- User M_Musa experiences a lot of discrimination on the labor market and shares his experience:
“Unfortunately, I myself also notice that there is a lot of discrimination on the labor market. That is also one of the reasons why I will not change jobs soon because I know that I am immediately behind 1-0 when applying for a job. This is also something which many will not understand because it is not an issue for them.”
Several readers also shared their experience with age discrimination in the comments. So named user GazelleSport that it is a pity that age discrimination is not discussed and told in this article reader Maria3591 that she has experienced this form of discrimination herself. What about age discrimination in the Netherlands? Your question was answered in a new article.
- Reader Maarten_V_73 recruits new people for his work and recently hired a person over fifty: “I work in a position where I am involved in recruiting and hiring people. Recently hired someone 55+ and also, as it is so nicely called, an ethnic origin, but we work for what is in the CV and the good conversation we had.”
“I can imagine that there are companies that (unfortunately) do this, but (fortunately) not an issue for us. From my perspective, everyone gets a chance, and if it meets our demand, totally fine. Otherwise, companies often miss the rich experience of such a person and the chance to share that experience with a younger colleague who can grow and improve enormously as a result.”
“I see it as a missed opportunity if we ignore this group and consciously choose not to do so. Same with origin; we are multicultural and I think it is enriching to learn from this. Disability? Is often a social compartment, often is the motivation and work ethic in this group are great ;-)”
3. The liquor industry spends tens of millions on alcohol
The beverage industry spends a lot of money on . Expenditure by beer brands in particular has risen rapidly in recent years. Tens of millions are involved in the Netherlands alone, and billions worldwide.
- NUjij’ers discussed alcohol commercials. For example, user Reitsma is against this:
“At the moment I am strongly against alcohol , I have been in a clinic because of my drinking, I have been without alcohol for more than a year now. The advertisement portrays an ideal picture, and whether it is the most normal thing for everyone to drink alcohol used.”
“I am now so far that I can divert my thoughts that the pluses of not drinking are almost infinite, and the pluses of drinking are really only a few.”
This article also sparked a discussion about drugs on NUjij. So named NOWyou Marco_1971 that cocaine is becoming easier to obtain and the reader mentions Just_Just alcohol legal drugs. Several readers also asked how bad coke is, among other things compared to alcohol. How exactly? We also answered that question in a new article.
The best NUjij responses are selected on the basis of substantiation and the contribution they make to NU.nl. The responses are not selected by political color – we do try to make a balanced selection, however.
The above comments are displayed as posted by users. The editors of NU.nl are not responsible for any language errors.