According to recent data released by Statbel and Actiris, the job market in Brussels has hit a record high in 2022. The number of employed residents in the Brussels Region has increased by 6.2%, which translates to nearly 30,000 more people working in the area. For the first time, over 509,000 Brussels residents are working, continuing the positive trend of job growth in the region. In the past year alone, Actiris has recorded an additional 39,000 jobs, totaling to 835,000. This marks the lowest unemployment rate since 1992, decreasing to 11.5% in the Brussels-Capital Region from 15% in 2017 and 17.5% ten years ago.
Although the news is favorable, Brussels still retains the highest unemployment rate in the country, with Hainaut (10.6%) and Liège (8.4%) trailing behind. On the other hand, East Flanders boasts the lowest rate of 2%. Bernard Clerfayt (Défi), Brussels Minister for Employment, welcomes these positive indicators but acknowledges the challenges faced by many Brussels residents with access to the job market.
Moreover, Actiris highlights that 32% of jobs in Brussels are held by Flemings, and 17.5% by Walloons, with Brussels residents accounting for 50.5% of the workforce. The remainder of jobs in the region (49.5%) is taken up by either Walloons or Flemings, a slight decrease from the past year’s 50.6%. David Leisterh, head of the MR group in the Brussels Parliament, notes that while employment and unemployment rates have improved, Brussels is still the region with the highest unemployment rate in the country. Leisterh also predicts that the number of unemployed job seekers will rise once more in 2023.
2022 is a record year for the Brussels job market, according to figures released by Statbel and relayed by Actiris. The number of employed Brussels residents thus increased by almost 30,000 people last year in the Brussels Region, an increase of 6.2%.
The half-million threshold has been exceeded for the first time: 509,000 Brussels residents work. The development of the number of jobs in the Brussels Region therefore continues its positive trend of previous years. In one year, Actiris counted 39,000 additional jobs, bringing the total number to 835,000, another record.
The unemployment rate is thus 11.5% in the Brussels-Capital Region. Ten years ago, it was 17.5% and 15% in 2017. The figures released correspond to the lowest unemployment rate since 1992.
The employment rate fell from 62.2% in 2021 to 65.2% in 2022.
“Unemployment down, employment rate up: all the indicators are green”, welcomes Bernard Clerfayt (Défi), Brussels Minister for Employment. “While I am delighted, I do not forget that access to the job market is more complicated for many Brussels residents.”
However, these data should not obscure the fact that the Brussels-Capital Region retains the highest unemployment rate in the country, ahead of the provinces of Hainaut (10.6%) and Liège (8.4%). It is in East Flanders (2%) that this unemployment rate is lowest.
“We remain the Region of the country with the highest unemployment rate”
”Despite the good progress in terms of the employment rate and the unemployment rate, we remain the Region of the country with the highest unemployment rate”, emphasizes David Leisterh, head of the MR group in the Brussels Parliament, who adds in particular that the number of unemployed job seekers “rise once more in 2023”.
32% of jobs in Brussels are held by Flemings
Another interesting element that Actiris points out: the figures from Statbel make it possible to determine the number of commuters who are active in a Region other than the one where they live.
It thus emerges that the jobs in the Brussels Region are slightly more than half (50.5%) occupied by the inhabitants of Brussels themselves. 32% of jobs are held by Flemings and 17.5% by Walloons. 49.5% of jobs in Brussels are held by Flemings or Walloons, compared to 50.6% in 2021.
In conclusion, the Brussels job market has set a new record in 2022 with an impressive increase of almost 30,000 employed residents. The positive trend of creating new job opportunities continues, with a total of 835,000 jobs in the Brussels Region. The unemployment rate has dropped to its lowest level since 1992, but the capital city still remains the region with the highest unemployment rate in the country. Despite the good news, challenges remain for Brussels residents to access the job market. Additionally, a significant percentage of jobs in Brussels are still occupied by Flemish and Walloon residents. The capital city continues to attract commuters from neighboring regions, contributing to the growth of the job market. Nonetheless, the new job numbers represent a significant progress, and the Brussels Region should strive towards creating more job opportunities and supporting residents to access them.
