There has been a marked increase in the numbers of labour migrants and flexible contracts in recent years. The influx of migrant labour would seem to be both a major cause and a consequence of the increased flexibilization of the labour market: not only have the new European Union borders made it easier to cut costs (by using migrant labour), many employers say that the economic crisis has made cost-cutting essential. Free traffic in services has resulted in unequal competition between Dutch and foreign companies, with adverse effects on Dutch workers.