The CE presents an economically viable alternative to the current exploitative global system, with new business innovations opening new opportunities to generate new forms of value. Recent estimates have highlighted the potential of CE to generate net employment increases of around 700 000 in the EU by 2030. Yet, a systemic shift towards the CE will change the type of work that will be done, how it is carried out and by whom.

Building upon the Dutch national strategy, Amsterdam has committed to becoming fully circular by 2050. It started the journey to become a circular city with the Circle City in 2015 and has since started more than 70 pilots in the CE. Amsterdam has pioneered a learning-by-doing approach to the CE, which was evaluated in 2017.

For the AMA to effectively transition towards, and maximise the benefits of, a CE, it is important to study the character of circular employment within the region, and to further understand how to develop the necessary skills to accelerate the circular transition.

This report summarises the key findings from the full report ‘Jobs and Skills in the AMA’, which was originally published in Dutch. These insights and action perspectives from Amsterdam create valuable insights for other cities that want to prepare their workforce for the transition towards a CE.