Belgium’s employment rate climbs to 73.3 per cent
Belgium’s employment rate rose to 73.3 per cent in the second quarter of this year. Of the nearly 284,000 people who were unemployed in the second quarter of 2024, 88,000 found work a year later, according to figures published on Tuesday by statistics office Statbel.
The share of working 20- to 64-year-olds rose to 73.3 per cent, up from 72.6 per cent in the first quarter. The increase is mainly driven by older workers: the rate of working 55- to 64-year-olds climbed from 60.4 per cent to 62.4 per cent in the same period. In total, 4.97 million people were employed in the second quarter of 2025.
But the federal government's goal of reaching 80 per cent employment by 2029 remains distant, the figures show, with a stark difference between regions. Flanders comes the closest with an employment rate of 77.8 per cent. Wallonia recorded 68.4 per cent, while Brussels lagged further behind at 64.4 per cent.
Unemployment remains stable
Many unemployed have also found work, Statbel's figures reveal. Of the nearly 284,000 people unemployed in the second quarter of 2024, 88,000 (30.9 per cent) had found work by the same period this year. Another 114,000 (40.3 per cent) were still unemployed, an improvement compared to the 46 per cent in the first quarter. The remaining 82,000 (28.8 per cent) left the labour market.
Again, the regional differences are stark. After one year, 30.7 per cent of Flemish unemployed remained without work, compared with 43.7 per cent in Wallonia and 49.7 per cent in Brussels.
Statbel also found that employment in Belgium remains relatively stable: 93.4 per cent of those working in 2024 were still employed a year later. Just 2.3 per cent became unemployed and 4.4 per cent left the labour market entirely.
The figures come from Statbel’s labour force survey ('Enquête naar de Arbeidskrachten' or EAK), which is based on a sample of around 24,000 people.
#FlandersNewsService | © BELGA PHOTO BENOIT DOPPAGNE
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