The first preliminary results of Statbel, the Belgian statistical office, show that the employment rate increased in April 2021: 69.3% against 68.3% March. The increase is slightly stronger among men than among women. The unemployment rate remains generally unchanged: 6.7%, although there is a clear decrease among young people (-4.5 percentage points). Just under half of people employed worked from home in April: 43.2% against 45.2% March.
Employment rate increases in April
Based on preliminary results from the Labour Force Survey for the month of April, the employment rate of 20-64-year-olds is 69.3%, which is 1 percentage point higher than in March (68.3%). The increase in the employment rate is slightly stronger for men (+1.3 percentage points) than for women (+0.7 percentage points).
In 2021, a new European framework regulation came into force. This led to adjustments to the survey. Therefore, the employment rate of 2021 cannot simply be compared with the figures before 2021. One of the important changes: from this year on, people who are temporarily unemployed for more than three months are no longer counted among the employed, but among the unemployed or inactive, depending on the answers to the questions on job search and availability. If, as in the past, we count them among the employed again, the employment rate would be 70.6% in April compared to 69.3% in March.
Unemployment rate stabilises between March and April
The unemployment rate of people aged 15-64 was 6.7% in April, which is the same level as in March. The unemployment rate increases among men (+0.4 percentage points) but decreases in the same order of magnitude among women (-0.4 percentage points). It is especially among young people that the unemployment rate is decreasing (-4.5 percentage points). Among the 50-64-year-olds, there is also a decrease (-0.9 percentage points), but among the 25-49-year-olds, we see an increase in the unemployment rate (+0.8 percentage points).
Here, too, the adjustments in the survey have an impact: if we recalculate the unemployment rate and consider the people who are temporarily unemployed for more than three months as working, as we did in 2020 and before, the unemployment rate would be 6.3% in April compared to 6.5% in March.
43.2% of persons employed sometimes, usually or always worked from home.
In April, working from home was still mandatory for all people employed whose job allows. 43.2% of persons employed sometimes, usually or always worked from home. This percentage is slightly lower than the previous months (45.2% in March, 43.3% in February and 43.7% in January). Women (44.4%) more often worked from home than men (42.2%). Among those who worked at home, 42.4% worked at home for the first time during the coronavirus crisis, 39.1% worked at home before but did so more since the coronavirus crisis, and for 18.5% the coronavirus crisis had no influence on the extent of their work from home.
Since January, respondents have been asked for the first time whether their job or situation would allow them to work from home more often. Among the people employed who did not always work from home, 86.4% answered in April that their job made it impossible to work (more) from home. According to 6.7%, it was however possible to work (more) from home but the employer, customer or client did not allow it. In addition, 6.9% of the respondents said they can work (more) from home, but they would rather not do it or it is difficult because of the home situation.
Holidays are the main reason for (at least) a week of absence
In April, the month that included the entire Easter holidays, 416,000 people reported not working during the entire reference week. The most important reason for not working are holidays (47.9%). This is followed by illness or an accident (31.7%), followed by temporary unemployment of 3 months or less (9%). 6.2% of the absentees were on maternity or paternity leave or birth leave. The remaining 5.2% indicated parental leave, compensation for overtime hours or other reasons for absence.
Holidays by far the most important reason for working half a day, a day or a few days less
Moreover, 1,274,000 people worked half a day, one day or several days less than usual during the reference week due to holidays, illness, temporary unemployment, another reason or a combination of several reasons. This is twice as many people as in March. 1,133,000 workers took at least half a day's leave or a holiday in April; 72,000 were in temporary unemployment for half a day, a day or several days; 71,000 were temporarily absent due to illness or an accident and 38,000 worked less for another reason, for example because a family member was ill.