An increasing proportion of the working population is taking on a second job.
In 2024, 278,503 people had a second job, accounting for approximately 5.5% of the working population, as reported by the Belgian statistics bureau, Statbel, on Wednesday.
This number represents a slight rise compared to 2023, when 259,903 people, or 5.2% of the working population, had a second job.
Looking over a longer period, in the year 2000, only 3.8% of the working population held two jobs.
Notably, the proportion of men and women with two jobs has been equal for several years. In 2000, 4.3% of working men had a second job, compared to 3.0% of working women. Now, this figure stands at 5.5% for both genders.
The age group most likely to have a second job is those between 25 and 49 years old, at 6.0%. Among the younger workers aged 15 to 24, 4.3% have a second job.
Additionally, individuals with higher education levels are more likely to have a second job.
More than half (57.2%) of second jobs are part-time self-employment. The most popular sectors for second jobs are human health and social work (14.2%), education (11.9%), and accommodation and food services (11.4%).
