More Belgians are employed, but afraid of losing job

While there are fewer unemployed in Belgium, workers are more afraid than ever to lose their jobs, writes Het Laatste Nieuws. The newspaper reports that temporary contracts are on the rise, and one in five Belgians wants to change jobs in the long term.

It is getting easier for Belgians in the job market to find work, but a fixed contract is harder and harder to come by, writes the newspaper. Over the last five years, the number of temporary contracts in the country has more than doubled, according to a recent study by Securex and figures from the National Employment Office (ONEM).

The number of unemployed people in Belgium decreases every year, with as many as “100,000 fewer unemployed in two years' time,” according to employment minister Kris Peeters. The state treasury's total spending on unemployment benefits has therefore decreased by €1.1 billion since 2014.

The Belgian labour market has never counted as many active workers as last year: 4,661,000.