Nearly 100,000 job vacancies are available in and around the Brussels-Capital Region – a surprising number that is much higher than official figures suggest.
With 90,000 unemployed people – of whom 40,000 are set to lose their benefits from the start of 2026 – and only around 10,000 to 20,000 official job openings in Brussels, panic is rising as the next year gets closer.
However, that might not be needed: new research by the Brussels Chamber of Commerce (BECI), Beljob and Partena Professionals identified 100,000 job vacancies in and around the Capital Region.
"The figure is surprising, not only for its size but also for the diversity of recruitment channels used," Thierry Geerts, CEO of BECI, told The Brussels Times.
Scattered offers
These findings clearly show that there is a lot of work, he added. "A priori, there are more jobs than jobseekers. Of course, that does not mean that the situation will fix itself, but it is still a very important message."
The research was carried out by the digital mapping tool for field jobs, Beljob, and reveals that the Brussels job market resembles an iceberg: the visible part includes job postings published through Actiris, job search platforms, and temporary employment agencies.
The hidden part, however, is much larger: many jobs are not advertised via the official channels, but are only posted on the company's website or on social media channels.
"Job offers exist, but they are often scattered and difficult to find. A growing number of them now circulate on social media: the job market has changed," Maxime Bollengier, CEO of Beljob, told The Brussels Times.
The Brussels employment office Actiris. Credit: Belga/Jonas Hamers
To obtain this snapshot, Beljob searched the internet and social media (mainly Facebook and LinkedIn) for all published job offers, using web crawling techniques – which automatically scan the web on a large scale to extract content – and artificial intelligence (AI) tools.
After filtering and removing duplicates, 99,237 distinct job postings were identified. "The real number is much higher. We did not have access to closed or private Facebook groups, and we did not search for jobs on Instagram or TikTok either – so there are many more offers out there."
The analysis demonstrates that the employment situation in Brussels remains complex but also offers hope, according to Geerts.
"The job opportunities are there, and some of them are accessible without a high level of education, which precisely matches the profile of a large proportion of Brussels residents currently unemployed," he said.
Getting out of Brussels
It often concerns jobs, such as delivery drivers, waiters or people working behind the counter in a sandwich shop, for example. "The jobs we found are often less structured and better suited to the needs of the unemployed people in Brussels."
For Geerts, this makes sense. "If you own a bar and you quickly need a waiter, you do not register on an official website. Instead, you post the opening in communities on Facebook and the like," he said. "Usually, people are found this way very quickly."
Now, the challenge is to strengthen the connection between job offers and jobseekers, but also to motivate Brussels residents to relocate, he stressed.
"The second element is mobility: people from Arlon to Ostend work in Brussels, but Brussels residents themselves supposedly only look for jobs within the region," Geerts explained. "Obviously, no one is expecting Brussels residents to go all the way to Ostend, but they might consider taking a look just outside the Capital Region."
Many job openings are located in the Brussels periphery, he stressed, with two major hubs very close by: one in Halle (Colruyt Group), the other in and around Brussels Airport in Zaventem – where companies are actively recruiting.
Aerial view of Brussels Airport. Credit: Belga/David Stockman
Therefore, Geerts stressed, jobseekers need to be able to broaden their search area and benefit from tailored support; efforts for Brussels residents must also be continued, expanded, and, above all, adapted to the needs of the current job market.
"Brussels has nearly 96,000 unemployed people, yet almost 100,000 job openings have been identified," Geerts said. "While it does not mean that everything will automatically fall into place, this figure should restore confidence: it shows that real potential exists. Our role is to encourage, guide, and raise awareness of these opportunities."
Meanwhile, Partena Professional CEO Roeland Van Dessel added that Brussels entrepreneurs have energy and projects, "but they sometimes lack visibility in the job market."
"By revealing the scale of the actual job openings, we give them concrete leverage to move forward," he said. "Clarifying these signals means supporting entrepreneurs and strengthening an ecosystem that is just waiting to thrive."
