Belgium's labour market is ageing rapidly, as the number of workers aged over 60 has jumped by almost 60% in the past five years.
More than one in ten employees in Belgium (11.5%) are currently aged 60 or older, according to a survey by human resources services provider Acerta Consult. By comparison, the figure in 2019 was just 7.23%.
The ageing profile of the labour force reflects a wider ageing of Belgian society – which the national Ageing Committee has said will drive up government spending in the coming decades.
The analysis of over 230,000 employees working for around 19,000 private companies found that the sectors with the most employees aged over 60 are the logistics and transport sector, and social profit sector (which includes healthcare institutions as well as schools and smaller non-profits).
In the logistic and transport sector, some 14.3% of employees are at least 60 years old, while in the social profit sector the proportion sits at 13.5%.
Policies needed for older employees
Reflecting on the figures, Acerta Consult said that it is important for both the government and individual companies to develop a "clear and feasible" policy for older employees.
Legal expert at Acerta Consult, Charlotte Pieters, said that they receive "many questions" from employers about the ageing of their company workforce.
"Companies want to know how they can keep their staff working longer, guide their employees towards retirement or offer (more) work for longer. The figures confirm that companies should be concerned with this. It has never been more important for companies and their employees to find the best solution for both parties," she said.
End of career options
Pieters noted that there are different options available to older employees at the end of their careers, including additional annual leave days based on age or years of service, pension options, early retirement and unemployment schemes for older workers (SWT).
She added that another option is to focus on internal job mobility, where employees can "change positions within the company to keep them working longer," or lateral entry into other sectors such as education.
"Finally, there is also the popular status of flexi-jobs and there is also a scheme for dual employment, where employees can work permanently for two employers at the same time," said Pieters, noting that the latter option is still relatively unknown.
She added that Acerta Consult has developed a tool, based on frequently asked questions from customers, to help companies develop a strategy for older employees.
