Seven thousand jobs lost in four years in Belgian construction sector
Since 2021, around 7,000 jobs have been lost in the Belgian construction sector. There are also around 1,000 fewer employers, announced the sector federation Bouwunie on Sunday. The construction association attributes this to a high number of bankruptcies and a declining number of start-ups.
In the first quarter of 2021, there were 147,016 workers in the Belgian construction sector, compared to 140,206 in the same quarter this year. Figures from the Constructiv sector fund analysed by Bouwunie show that 34,000 jobs have been lost in the sector since the start of the financial crisis in 2012. Since 2021, the number of employers has fallen by 1,006.
Bouwunie points to a high number of bankruptcies and a declining number of start-ups. "The construction sector is really in crisis. The number of new building permits continues to fall, which has been putting pressure on the new-build sector for some time. The renovation sector held out for a long time, but those order books are also gradually shrinking.”
According to Bouwunie’s managing director Jean-Pierre Waeytens, the Flemish government is making things worse by abolishing the home renovation subsidies for the highest income groups. The construction organisation advocates a “long-term policy that effectively supports construction contractors” instead of the current, often “ad hoc” policy. Specifically, Bouwunie is asking for administrative simplification, a reduced VAT rate for a standard new-build home and a general tax deduction for private individuals.
Illustration © PHOTO Nicolas Guyonnet / Hans Lucas via AFP
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