One in five Flemish jobseekers at risk of losing benefits has found work

Almost one in five Flemish jobseekers who were due to lose their unemployment benefits earlier this year have since found work. A late-November assessment by the Flemish public employment service VDAB revealed a clear age divide, with younger jobseekers finding work far more easily than older people who have been out of work for decades.

The data, communicated by the cabinet of the Flemish Minister for Employment Zuhal Demir (N-VA), relate to the first phase of a federal reform that limits the duration of unemployment benefits, as decided in July. Between 1 January and 28 February, benefits will be withdrawn from people who have been unemployed for 20 years or more, as well as from young adults receiving starter benefits. Based on VDAB figures from September, 4,784 people in Flanders were expected to lose their payments.

‘Go back to work,’ Belgium tells its sick and unemployed

The Belgian labour force could well grow by tens of thousands of people in the coming months. At least, that’s what the federal government is...

belganewsagency.eu

Of these, 1,351 people were classified as having serious welfare, health or social problems, meaning a transition to work is currently considered unrealistic. ​ Of the remaining 3,433 jobseekers, 18 per cent had found employment by the end of November.

Age proves decisive. Among people aged 20 to 34, 22 per cent were already in work by late November. For those aged 50 to 64, the figure was just 6 per cent, underlining the structural difficulty of reintegrating older long-term unemployed workers. Demir called the early results “encouraging”, but stressed that helping more people into work will be VDAB’s central task in the coming months.

Belgian parties clash over jobless people at risk of losing benefits

Belgium’s Christian Democrat party CD&V is calling for urgent help for more than 10,000 unemployed people who risk losing their benefits but are...

belganewsagency.eu

The reform, which could ultimately affect around 100,000 people nationwide, remains politically contentious. Federal Work minister David Clarinval (MR) expects one third of those affected to find a job, one third to rely on a partner’s income, and one third to fall back on local welfare. However, parties including CD&V and Vooruit are clashing over how to protect people deemed unable to work due to medical, mental or social problems, with calls for a separate status and adapted income support still under debate.

^{#FlandersNewsService | © BELGIAN_FREELANCE}