The proportion of Belgian workers who feel they are paid fairly compared to their colleagues has dropped from 57.3% in 2025 to 51.8% in 2026, according to a study released Thursday by HR services company Partena Professional.
The share of workers who believe they are underpaid has remained stable, at 15.7% in 2026 compared to 15.4% the previous year. The decrease is therefore largely due to a rise in the number of workers who feel neutral about their remuneration. Currently, 32.5% of employees responded “neither agree nor disagree” when asked if they were paid fairly, up from 27.3% in 2025.
“This shift signifies a clear change in perception,” said Yves Stox, a management consultant at Partena Professional. “We aren’t witnessing widespread protests about salaries, but we are seeing an important signal. Workers are increasingly questioning the fairness of their pay. Salary isn’t just a number—it’s also about how fair it feels. Businesses have more work to do in this area.”
The study also found a notable difference in how men and women perceive salary fairness. Women are more likely than men to feel neutral or negatively about their remuneration.
To reverse this trend, Partena Professional argues that “salary transparency can truly make a difference.”
Labour economics professor Stijn Baert stressed that Belgian companies will need to implement EU rules on pay transparency by mid-2026. “Employers will have to clearly explain how salaries are set in order to close the pay gap between men and women,” he said.
