The Belgian worker has an average age of 41.4, which is 11.1 months less than a year ago. For the first time in five years, the Belgian jobs market is picking up, the service provider RH Acerta stated in a study published on Friday.
This rejuvenation is as much evidence for men and women and applies across all statutes, sectors and regions.
According to Acerta, this is explained by an increase in the number of young workers on the "booming" jobs market. Nearly one worker in three is in fact under 35.
"With the average age of 41.4, these workers are not only several months younger; at this age, they have still not reached the half-way stage in their careers. The jobs market will still, therefore, be able to count on many years of activity from the average worker," Laura Couchard, legal officer at Acerta, explained.
The non-commercial sector is also picking up but the average age is greater than in other sectors (43.2 for workers).
The average worker in the smallest companies is younger than in bigger ones: with a difference of around 3.5 years. In companies employing no more than 10 workers, the average age stands at 39.5 against 43 in firms with more than 500 workers.
"2017 and 2018 were good years in economic terms. The promise of 'jobs, jobs, and more jobs' has become a reality. The fact that it is the young who have benefitted the most is also given weight by the regional governments," explained Couchard.
"Consider for example the Walloon Region's 'stimulus support' for workers under the age of 25. But we also find that the larger number of young workers is also due to the shortage in the labour market. This, in fact, causes employers to look for the help they need among the young," Couchard added.
The Brussels Times
