The Dutch cabinet agreed on November 18, 2011, not to open the Dutch labor market to Bulgarian and Romanian labor migrants until January 1, 2014. This implies that their employers will still need a work permit until that date. The cabinet is against the free movement of persons for this group because of rising unemployment in the Netherlands and a recession. After January 1, 2014, the agreement on the free movement of persons within the European Union will also apply to Bulgarian and Romanian nationals.