At the end of October, 61,601 Flemish people had been unemployed for two years or longer – 7,678 more than the previous year, representing a 15% increase.
In previous years, the number had consistently decreased, according to figures from Flemish Employment Minister Zuhal Demir (N-VA), requested by Flemish MP Robrecht Bothuyne (CD&V), reported Het Laatste Nieuws on Monday.
"The increase in the number of long-term unemployed is the result of two factors," said labour expert Stijn Baert. "Two years ago, significantly more people were unemployed than in the previous period, and there have also been fewer vacancies in the past two years."
"The VDAB (Flemish Employment and Vocational Training Service) attributes the increase in the number of unemployed to the influx of Ukrainian refugees who gradually registered and to the Flemish Government's decision to include inactive people in the unemployment statistics," he said. "The decline in the number of vacancies began in 2022."
According to MP Bothuyne, there is a third reason. "The Flemish Government has made significant cuts to the VDAB," he said, adding that he believes that Flanders should reinvest in the employment agency.
In a draft policy document, he also proposes increasing the wage tax reduction for employers who hire a long-term unemployed person.
However, such a wage tax reduction will not lead to changes in companies' recruitment policies, according to Baert. "If it does have an effect, it is a stigmatising one."
