The number of unemployed co-habitants is the highest in 15 years, according to a study by Onem. Le Soir talked about this study on Wednesday. Today, 48.2 % of unemployed people are co-habitants, a 5% increase compared to 2008. It has been rising since 2013. The National Employment Office said as there has been such a large increase in checks, some job seekers have stopped (fraudulently) declaring themselves as single, and are now listed as co-habitants.
A co-habitant gets less money than a single person, and the difference can be as much as 400 euros a month, the paper says. Onem also says the smaller difference between the allocation for single people and the allocation for other unemployed people could also explain the increase.
(Source: Belga)
