One in ten unemployed who lost benefits in recent reforms has found work

One in ten unemployed who lost benefits in recent reforms has found work
Credit: Belga

Nearly one in ten unemployed individuals who lost unemployment benefits due to the Government's recent reforms has found work.

In January, 8,972 people who had been unemployed for more than 20 years had their unemployment benefits terminated, according to an analysis by the Onem and shared by L’Echo on Saturday.

By March, another wave of jobseekers lost their benefits, this time affecting 36,584 individuals who had been seeking work for over eight years.

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In total, some 100,000 people have lost their unemployment benefits, with more waves due later this year and in 2027.

Of the latter group, 10.2% — or 3,742 people — secured a job either as employees or self-employed. This rate was double that of those excluded in January, where the figure was 5.8%.

The lowest reintegration rate was recorded in Brussels at 8.5%. In Wallonia, it stood at 10.7%, while Flanders achieved a slightly higher rate of 11.8%.

Onem has said these figures align with the government’s “three-thirds hypothesis,” predicting increased rates of job placement for future waves of benefit exclusions.


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