Belgium’s higher state pension age is now visible in employment figures, with the number of people aged 65 and over still in work rising by more than half in the last two years.
The data comes from Belgium’s National Social Security Office (RSZ), which published the figures on Thursday.
The wider labour market has shown barely any growth in recent quarters. In the second quarter, the number of employees, about 4.12 million, and total labour volume measured in full-time equivalents were almost unchanged from the same period in 2024.
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While younger workers may be coming under pressure from automation and AI, employment among over-65s rose sharply. In the second quarter, 83,528 people aged 65 and above were in work.
That was 20% more than a year earlier and 52.2% higher than in the same quarter of 2024.
The RSZ said the increase is partly linked to the popularity of flexi-jobs, a Belgian scheme for low-tax extra work, but believes the main driver is the rise in the statutory pension age introduced in 2025.
“The increase is much more visible among full-time and part-time employees than among flexi-job workers,” said Jasper Hubeau, director of the RSZ’s finance and statistics department.
“It is the first time that we can see the pension reform so clearly reflected in our statistics,” he said.
In other age groups, the biggest decline was among the youngest workers, those aged under 25. Their employment fell by 3% year on year and by 4% compared with 2024.
“That is a striking trend which we need to monitor closely,” Hubeau said. “It cannot be ruled out that automation is playing a part, including through artificial intelligence.”
