EU tells Belgium to do more on jobs, skills and government efficiency
The European Commission is urging Belgium to address labour shortages and the mismatch between the skills workers have and those the market needs. The call features in the Commission's annual socio-economic recommendations to member states.
The Commission recommends, among other things, that Belgium strengthen cooperation between its regional employment services. It also flags persistently low employment rates among people with a migrant background and highlights significant barriers facing the low-skilled, people with disabilities and older workers.
The Commission specifically mentions the time-limiting of unemployment benefits and improvements to return-to-work policies for those on long-term sick leave as relevant measures. However, it stresses that their effectiveness will depend heavily on accompanying support such as language training, childcare, better matching of supply and demand, and facilitated transitions after extended absence.
Belgium's employment rate stands at 72.8 per cent, below the EU average of 76.1 per cent, and varies considerably between regions.
A warning over flexi-jobs and a skills gap
Also in the report, The Commission raises a cautionary note on the recent expansion of flexi-jobs, warning that broader use of these arrangements could worsen shortages in sectors such as healthcare and education.
On skills more broadly, it points to the need for retraining and upskilling in sectors where supply and demand are misaligned. The share of Belgian adults participating in training stands at 34.9 per cent, below the EU average of 39.5 per cent. The number of students enrolling in STEM or ICT programmes is also deemed too low to meet labour market needs.
Beyond jobs and skills, the Commission repeats its call for continued investment in defence, a further phasing out of fossil fuel subsidies and greater efficiency in public administration. On the budget, the Commission does not consider additional tightening of monitoring under the excessive deficit procedure to be necessary at this stage.
© Nicolas TUCAT / AFP
Related news
