A record number of Belgian employees are combining two jobs, according to the latest figures from Eurostat. This puts the country in the top five in Europe.
Belgium has the fifth-highest proportion (6.1%) of employees with a second job in Europe; only Estonia (6.3%), Finland (7.1%), the Netherlands (9.4%) and Denmark (9.5%) have higher figures.
"There are various reasons why people choose a second job," said Tom Dirix, expert at HR firm Acerta. "For example, they may want more financial freedom, or they want to develop other talents that they do not use in their main job. Some may want to alternate physically demanding work with a more sedentary job."
According to Acerta's analysis, women in particular have caught up in recent years. For the first time, the percentage of women with a second job is equal to that of men (6.1%).
The proportion of female employees with a second job has risen by around 56.4% over the past ten years. Among men, the increase (38.6%) over the same period was slightly less.
Popular flexi-jobs
Still, there is a difference in the kind of second job women and men do: while women seem to opt more often for a second job in paid employment, men are more likely to take up self-employment (usually as a secondary occupation) after their regular hours.
For Acerta, this is explained by the popularity of Belgium's flexi-job system (which allows retirees and people working at least four-fifths to earn extra income in a different sector, tax-free) and the measures promoting self-employed status.
The proportion of people with a second job is expected to continue to increase in 2026, partly due to the Federal Government's planned extension of flexi-jobs to all sectors from 1 July.
A recent survey of more than 2,000 employees and 500 employers conducted by Acerta shows that both employees and employers are positive about this expansion. One in five employees (19.1%) say they want to have a flexi-job in 2026.
Employers are willing, too: 24.4% of employers with more than 10 employees already employ people in a flexi-job system, and another 9.2% plan to do so for the first time in 2026.
Waitress on Brussels' Grand Place. Credit: Belga/Eric Lalmand
"Having two jobs is an example of how flexibility can work. At the same time, employees must continue to monitor their own balance and motivation," Dirix said.
For a company, it can be a solution to be able to count on part-time reinforcement for certain tasks, he said. "At the same time, it can be convenient for temporary employees to be able to play to their different talents on different fronts."
However, Dirix warned that combining two jobs also leads to increased complexity, which has its limits. It is therefore important that both employer and employee weigh up the pros and cons of such choices with an open mind, both financially and practically.
"Questions must be asked, such as what does combining two jobs mean for someone's well-being and workload, to what extent is it sustainable in the long term, and so on," he emphasised.
