In 2023, over 65,000 working residents of Brussels were employed in Flanders, an increase of 9,000 from the previous year, representing a rise of 16.5%, compared to the average growth of 5% over the past five years.
Nearly one in every eight active Brussels residents (12.4%) is employed in Flanders, according to an interregional worker mobility study between Brussels and Flanders, published Thursday by the Brussels employment agency Actiris and its Flemish counterpart VDAB.
Brussels commuters are mainly employed in Flanders in the sectors of commerce, scientific and technical activities, and transport and logistics.
Gender disparities
The study further highlights that in 2023, three quarters of Brussels residents working in Flanders were men. Since 2018, the proportion of women among these commuters has decreased from 33% to 25% over five years.
Actiris attributes this disparity to the fact that women are more likely to work part-time due to family obligations, making them less inclined to accept jobs further from home.
In 2023, just over half of Brussels commuters to Flanders were highly qualified. This was an increase from 44% five years earlier. Non-European nationals formed the largest group of workers (48%), according to the study.
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Finally, of the 6,743 Brussels job seekers who worked in Flanders for a month or more in 2023, nearly a third (2,188) received support from Actiris, VDAB, or their partners.
Job seekers view this interregional mobility as an additional opportunity in the coming years. However, challenges remain, such as educational level, language barriers, mobility and the risk of discrimination.
