In 2024, an average of 91,628 unemployed job seekers registered with the Brussels employment agency Actiris each month. This figure marks the highest number since 2017, when 91,392 job seekers signed on with the agency.
This marks a significant rise. The number of unemployed job seekers in Brussels has increased by 3%. Actiris attributes this to three main factors.
Firstly, job seekers no longer need to re-register every three months to maintain their unemployed status. They instead remain registered until the end of their welfare entitlement period, swelling the number of claimants at the end of each month.
Secondly, the overall economic climate has worsened, Actiris noted. This has resulted in decreased demand for labour. Actiris received nearly 20% fewer job offers in 2024. Additionally, the number of bankruptcies in the Brussels-Capital Region increased by approximately 15%.
Lastly, there has been a rise in young people registering for welfare in the capital since 2022. Due to tough financial conditions in 2023 and 2024, fewer young people found jobs without the help of Actiris. This increase was worsened by the changing demographics of Brussels: between 2018 and 2023, the number of young people (aged 18 to 29) in the Brussels-Capital Region increased by 6.2%.
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Of the monthly average of 91,628 job-seeking unemployed individuals in 2024, 50,974 were receiving financial benefits. This number of unemployment benefits recipients slightly declined last year, down from an average of 51,215 in 2023, continuing a steady downward trend from previous years.
Finally, the unemployment rate – the proportion of job-seeking unemployed individuals within the working-age population – reached 14.6% in 2024. This is its highest level since 2021, when it reached 15.25%.
