The number of school-leavers in Flanders who became unemployed after graduating reached its lowest level in more than a decade in 2022, largely down to the labour market creating more opportunities for young people.
Of the 70,195 young people who left school in 2021, only 3,869 – or 5.5% – were still registered as job seekers with the Flemish employment services VDAB on 30 June 2022, the lowest proportion since the current methodology was introduced 11 years ago. At the start of the pandemic, this figure was still almost 10%.
"Along with the boom in the job market, the number of jobseekers without jobs continued to decline," VDAB explained. "At the measuring point in June, this number was at a record low, which created a very tight labour market that presented challenges for employers, but created a lot of opportunities for young school-leavers looking for work."
Chances based on education level
While VDAB stressed that this boom presented school-leavers with more opportunities, it added that these remain highly dependent on the school leaver's level of education. "The higher the level of education, the higher and better the job opportunities and the lower the probability of being jobless one year after leaving school."
For example, of the school-leavers who entered the labour market without a secondary education degree, 20% did not have a job at the end of June. This proportion is also at its lowest level since 2011, but VDAB stressed that it cannot be ignored that unqualified school-leavers more often end up in low-paid and lower-quality jobs and are more often in poorer health or in inactivity."
Among school-leavers with a secondary school diploma, the job-seeking rate was 6.3%, while among those with a higher vocational degree or HBO5 – a programme which prepares for a profession through workplace learning – this percentage is 3%.
Among the practical BSO and TSO programmes at secondary schools where this dual learning, officially introduced in 2019, is also central, only 4.2% were unemployed a year later.
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Those who were trained in a care profession or who focused on mathematics, engineering, technology, science or ICT also had more job security.
Among those with a professional bachelor's or master's degree, the unemployment level was just 1.9%, while those with an academic bachelor – which in principle does not prepare for the labour market – find it slightly more difficult to find work," VDAB said.
