Agnes Jongerius is proclaimed to be the most influential woman of the Netherlands by the Dutch newspaper the Volkskrant. Moreover, Dutch television personalities Pauw and Witteman called her the ‘most powerful woman in the Netherlands'.

Jongerius graduated cum laude in Social Economic History at Utrecht University. She started her career at the ‘Vervoersbond FNV' of ‘FNV Bondgenoten', the largest trade union that promotes the interests of the employees in the Netherlands. In 1990 she was elected into the board of FNV, in 1997 she became vice-chairman, whereas in 2005 she became the first female chairman of the FNV.

Her influence on the government of the Netherlands is enormous. Alexander Pechtold, the Dutch D66 party chairman, once described Jongerius as the ‘true minister of Social Affairs and Employment.'