Belgian employers' hiring intentions for the third quarter of 2025 appear less robust amid uncertainties in the global trade environment, according to ManpowerGroup's Employment Outlook published on Tuesday, based on a survey of 525 employers conducted in April.
Among these employers, 39% plan to increase their workforce by the end of September 2025, while 19% foresee reductions, and 41% expect no change.
After adjusting for seasonal variations, ManpowerGroup's "net employment outlook" – the difference between the percentage of employers planning to hire and those planning to reduce staff – stands at +20%. This is a decline for the second consecutive quarter and is at its lowest level since the second quarter of 2023.
Positive hiring intentions are reported across all three regions with +31% in Brussels, +22% in Wallonia, and +17% in Flanders. The net employment outlook increased by nine points in Brussels compared to the previous quarter, remained steady in Wallonia, and decreased by 11 points quarterly and 14 points annually in Flanders.
In addition to international challenges, employers face disruptions in the labour market due to demographic changes, rapid technological advances, and economic pressures.
ManpowerGroup’s data reveals that the "massive" exit of older workers is directly affecting the HR strategies of more than one in two employers, with a particularly strong impact in Brussels (62%), Flanders (58%), and Wallonia (47%). Concurrently, 54% of Belgian companies say they plan to boost their investment in automation over the next 12 months.
