Job security is the main motivator keeping employees with their current employer, according to a new survey by HR services company Partena Professional.
"For many employees, the question of how secure their job is is at least as important as what they receive in their bank account each month. When employees are presented with twelve possible reasons to stay with their current employer, job security comes out clearly on top." explained Yves Stox, managing consultant at Partena Professional.
Overall, 58% of survey respondents chose job security as their top motivator for staying with their current employer, out of 12 options. This was followed by work-life balance, which was chosen by just under half of respondents (49.5%).
Only a third picked salary as their most important driver for remaining with their current employer, placing it fifth, with even the commute to work (38.1%) scoring higher.
However, differences emerge across Belgium. French speakers are more likely to cite pay as an important reason to stay with their current company than Dutch speakers.
Women are also less likely than men to cite pay as important for staying with their employer.
Belgium's economy has been in difficult straits in recent quarters, stagnating between April and June and recording zero growth.
The country also recorded 8,597 bankruptcies in the first three quarters of 2026, a new 9-month record, driven by previously strong Flanders.
Partena's survey highlights the impact of current economic uncertainty, with employers choosing to stay with their current employer rather than risk moving.
"The impact of economic uncertainty on the labour market should not be underestimated," explained Stox.
