The employment rate in the Brussels-Capital Region and the overall number of jobs reached record levels in 2022, according to figures from the region's employment office Actiris.
The employment rate reached the highest level observed since the creation of the Brussels region: 65.2% of Brussels residents aged between 20 and 64 are employed. This is an increase of 3.5% compared to pre-pandemic levels.
The national employment rate stands at 71.9%, according to Statbel, the Belgian Statistics Office.
“Unemployment down, employment rate up: all indicators are green! While I am delighted about this, I am not forgetting that access to the job market is more complicated for many Brussels residents. Inadequate skills and discrimination in hiring remain the main obstacles to employment for the inhabitants of Brussels,” stressed Bernard Clerfayt, Brussels Minister for Employment.
The unemployment rate, which stands at 11.5% for 2022, has been falling over the past ten years.
The total number of jobs in Brussels (occupied by Brussels residents or not) was around 835,000 in 2022, i.e. an increase of 39,000 positions.
Half of jobs in Brussels are occupied by residents of the region whilst 49,5% of employees actually commute from Flanders and Wallonia.
