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Education level is a determining factor in probability of employment

Out of 100 school leavers younger than 30 who left school in 2009, 69 had a job and 31 were unemployed or inactive in 2010. This is shown in figures of the Labour Force Survey. The chance for young school leavers of getting a job is higher in the Flemish Region (77%) than in the Walloon Region and the Brussels-Capital Region (59% in both regions).

The financial and economic crisis that began in late 2008 has had an impact on the opportunities for school leavers to find a job. The percentage of young school leavers who had not found a job one year after completing their studies increased from 24.9% in 2008 to 30.8% in 2009 and 31.2% in 2010.

High-skilled people are still at an advantage with regard to getting a job. Out of 100 school leavers younger than 30 who left school with a diploma of higher education in hand in 2009, 84 had a job in 2010 against 59 among average-skilled people and 29 among low-skilled people. So, education still has an impact on probability of employment.

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