Belgium’s middle class is shrinking, say researchers

The share of high- and low-paid jobs in the Belgian labour market is growing, resulting in a slowly shrinking middle class, reports De Standaard based on research published in the journal American Economic Review.

The labour market in Belgium is polarising, with low-paid jobs and jobs at the top of the market becoming increasingly important, while the proportion of jobs with an average salary is on the decline. According to the article, the middle class in Belgium dropped 12 percentage points in importance between 1993 and 2010, with the bottom share gaining three percentage points, and the top share nine points.

The polarisation of the labour market is a phenomenon that is occurring throughout Europe, but after Ireland, the decline of the middle class is most evident in Belgium. The cause, according to researchers, is increasing technology: "It was once thought that technology would compromise the lowest paid jobs, but that is not the case," says Anna Salomons, researcher at the University of Utrecht. "Routine work in the industry or in offices is especially sensitive to automation due to technological developments, but jobs that involve cleaning, caring for children or serving in a restaurant, much less so."