The unemployment rate amounts to 5.4% in the second quarter 2024
The Belgian ILO unemployment rate slightly decreased from 5.8% to 5.4%. The employment rate remains rather stable compared to the previous quarter. This is what emerges from the new results of Statbel, based on the Labour Force Survey (LFS). The number of employed people in the second quarter 2024 is estimated at 5,047,000 and the number of ILO unemployed people at 284,000.
In Flanders and Brussels, we see few shifts in the main labour market indicators. In Wallonia, the figures show positive developments. The employment rate amounts to 76.2% in Flanders, to 68.1% in Wallonia and to 63.7% in Brussels. The ILO unemployment rate is 3.4% in Flanders, compared to 6.8% in Wallonia and 12.3% in Brussels.
You will find more details below, with the evolutions per gender, age group, region and level of education.
72.2% of people aged 20-64 are employed
In the second quarter 2024, the employment rate of people aged 20 to 64 is estimated at 72.2%, a figure only slightly different from that of the first quarter 2024 (71.9%). In absolute terms, this means that in the second quarter 2024, about 4,892,000 people aged 20 to 64 were in work in Belgium. If we look at the population aged 15 and over, this is 5,047,000 employed people.
The employment rate of men is 76.1% and that of women is, as always, slightly lower: 68.3% (Chart 1). So the employment rate remains fairly stable for both men and women.
By age, too, we see few significant evolutions in the employment rate (Chart 2). The figure remains fairly stable for both the 20-54 and the 55-64 age groups: 76.1% and 59.3% respectively.
At regional level, we see different trends in Brussels and Flanders, on the one hand, and in Wallonia, on the other hand. Whereas the employment rate evolves only slightly in the first two regions, we see an increase in the latter (Chart 3). In Wallonia, the employment rate increased from 66.2% in the first quarter to 68.1% in the second quarter. In Flanders, it is estimated at 76.2%, versus 76.7% in the previous quarter. In Brussels, it is 63.7% versus 63.3% in the previous quarter.
The employment rate of low-, medium- and highly-skilled people amounts to 49.2%, 67.5% and 86.6% respectively (Chart 4). The strongest evolution is registered among low-skilled people: we see an increase in the employment rate from 47.2% to 49.2%.
The unemployment rate amounts to 5.4%
The ILO unemployment rate decreased from 5.8% to 5.4% between the first and second quarters of 2024. However, this decrease only concerns men, where the unemployment rate evolves from 6.4% to 5.8%, exactly the same evolution as last quarter, but in the opposite direction (Chart 5). For women, the estimation remains stable at 5.0%.
In absolute terms, there were about 284,000 ILO unemployed in the second quarter 2024: 124,000 women and 160,000 men.
Youth unemployment (15-24 years old) remains fairly stable (16.1%). Also among the oldest age group, we see little evolution (3.3% in the first quarter 2024 compared to 3.5% in the second quarter). In the middle group, we do see a decrease from 5.7% to 5.0% (Chart 6).
At regional evolution, we again see the strongest evolution in Wallonia (Chart 7). There, the ILO unemployment rate drops from 7.7% in the first quarter 2024 to 6.8% in the current quarter. We will have to wait for the results of the next few quarters before drawing any conclusions in terms of trends. In Brussels and Flanders, the unemployment rate is rather stable: it is estimated at 12.3% in Brussels and at 3.4% in Flanders.
If we look at the evolutions per level of education, we see, as for the employment rate, the strongest evolution among low-skilled people. In this group, the ILO unemployment rate decreases from 13.3% to 11.4%. The estimate remains stable among medium-skilled people at 6.3% and among highly-skilled people at 3.0% (Chart 8).
Transitions on the labour market
Based on the panel data available to the Labour Force Survey, we can also observe shifts or transitions in the labour market status of individuals. More information is available here.
Methodological note
The reported figures are estimations based on a sample survey. They are based on an effective sample of 27,000 persons (respondents) between 15 and 89 years old in the second quarter of 2024. This represents about 13,600 respondents in Flanders, 10,100 in Wallonia and 3,400 in Brussels.
The Labour Force Survey is a continuous survey, which means that the sample is evenly spread over the 52 (reference) weeks of the year. The selected respondents answer a questionnaire mainly related to their activity in the course of a given reference week. The data presented here reflect the averages for the quarter.
As the LFS questionnaire has changed since the first quarter of 2021, as have the ILO definitions on employment and unemployment, the charts presented here start from the first quarter of 2021 (and not earlier because there is a break between the fourth quarter of 2020 and the first quarter of 2021).
As with all results based on a sample, one has to take into account () a certain degree of uncertainty around the estimated figures. In order to increase readability, reference is not systematically made to whether or not certain evolutions are significant but we integrate the confidence intervals into the graphs. However, it should be borne in mind that small evolutions from one quarter to another are usually not significant. Therefore, we recommend to assess the trends over several quarters rather than from one quarter to the next, based on the reasoning that certain random sampling fluctuations are less visible in this way.
The confidence intervals for the employment and unemployment rates are available in annexes 1 and 2.
Definitions
The survey is harmonised at European level. The definitions regarding employment and unemployment that are mentioned (see tab ‘documents’) are those of the International Labour Office (ILO) to allow international comparison.
The employment rate of people aged 20-64 is the share of persons employed in the total population aged 20 to 64.
The unemployment rate of people aged 15-64 is the share of unemployed people in the labour force (employed + unemployed) aged 15 to 64.
Low-skilled people are people who have at most a lower secondary education diploma. Medium-skilled people are people who obtained a diploma of upper secondary education but not of higher education. Highly-skilled people obtained a diploma of higher education.
Annex 1: Confidence intervals for the employment rate of people aged 20-64 (Q2 2024)
| Estimate Q2 2024 | Confidence interval | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Lower limit | Upper limit | ||
| Belgium | 72.2% | 71.5% | 73.0% |
| Men | 76.1% | 75.2% | 77.1% |
| Women | 68.3% | 67.3% | 69.4% |
| Brussels-Capital Region | 63.7% | 61.5% | 66.0% |
| Flemish Region | 76.2% | 75.3% | 77.2% |
| Walloon Region | 68.1% | 66.8% | 69.4% |
| 20-54 years old | 76.1% | 75.2% | 76.9% |
| 55-64 years old | 59.3% | 57.8% | 60.8% |
| Low-skilled people | 49.2% | 47.2% | 51.2% |
| Medium-skilled people | 67.5% | 66.3% | 68.7% |
| Highly-skilled people | 86.6% | 85.7% | 87.5% |
Annex 2: Confidence intervals for the unemployment rate of people aged 15-64 (Q2 2024)
| Estimate Q2 2024 | Confidence interval | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Lower limit | Upper limit | ||
| Belgium | 5.4% | 4.9% | 5.9% |
| Men | 5.8% | 5.1% | 6.4% |
| Women | 5.0% | 4.4% | 5.6% |
| Brussels-Capital Region | 12.3% | 10.1% | 14.4% |
| Flemish Region | 3.4% | 3.0% | 3.9% |
| Walloon Region | 6.8% | 5.9% | 7.6% |
| 15-24 years old | 16.1% | 13.3% | 18.9% |
| 25-49 years old | 5.0% | 4.4% | 5.6% |
| 50-64 years old | 3.5% | 2.9% | 4.1% |
| Low-skilled people | 11.4% | 9.6% | 13.1% |
| Medium-skilled people | 6.3% | 5.5% | 7.1% |
| Highly-skilled people | 3.0% | 2.5% | 3.4% |
Employment rate, unemployment rate and activity rate by gender for Belgium and the regions, last 4 quarters
Access to latest statisticsEmployment rate and unemployment rate
Labour force survey (LFS)
Purpose and short description
The Labour Force Survey (LFS) is a household sample survey, conducted throughout the year. It is based on the responses of approximately 110,000 persons aged 15-89. Its main objective is to classify the population of 15-89 years into three groups (employed, unemployed and inactive persons on the labous market) and to provide descriptive and explanatory data on every category. This survey is also carried out in the other EU Member States and is coordinated by Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union. In Belgium, the LFS is organised by Statbel. The objective is to obtain comparable information at European level, in particular as regards employment and unemployment rates as defined by the International Labour Office (ILO), but also to collect and disseminate data that are otherwise not available, for example about the mobility of workers, the reasons for working part-time, the various forms of part-time employment, the occupation, the educational level of the working age population, ... .
Survey population
Members of private households aged 15-89.
Sample frame
Demographic data from the National Register.
Data collection method and sample size
Data are collected through face-to-face interviews for the first wave of the survey. Since 2017, there have been three (shorter) follow-up waves to which households respond online or by telephone.
Households with only inactive persons older than 64 can also be interviewed by telephone.
Every year, around 34,000 households take part in this survey.
Response rate
On average, the response rate in the first wave of the survey is around 68% and in the follow-up waves between 90% and 95%.
Periodicity
Quarterly
Release calendar
Results availability: around 3 months after the end of the reference period.
Forms
- Labour Force Survey 2024 (PDF, 1 Mb)
Definitions regarding employment and unemployment
The survey is harmonised at European level. The definitions regarding employment and unemployment that are mentioned are those of the International Labour Office (ILO) to allow international comparison.
- People with a job (employed people) comprise all people who during the reference week performed some work ‘for wage or salary’ or ‘for profit’ regardless of the duration (even if this was only one hour), or who had a job but were temporarily absent. For example, one can be temporarily absent for holidays, illness, technical or economic reasons (temporary unemployment),....
Family workers are also included in the category ‘employed’.
Since 2021, people who have been temporarily unemployed for an uninterrupted period of more than three months are counted as unemployed or inactive, and no longer as employed.
- The unemployed comprise all people who:
(a) during the reference week were without work, i.e. were not in paid employment or self-employment;
(b) were available for work, i.e. were available for paid employment or self-employment within two weeks after the reference week;
(c) were actively seeking work, i.e. had taken specific steps during the last four weeks including the reference week to seek paid employment or self-employment, or who had found a job to start within a maximum period of three months.
Please note: The ILO unemployment figures are unrelated to any possible registration with the VDAB, Actiris, FOREM or the ADG, or to the receipt of unemployment benefits from ONEM (National Employment Office). As a result, they cannot be compared with administrative unemployment figures.
- The labour force is made up of the employed and the unemployed.
- The economically inactive population comprises all people who were not considered as employed or unemployed.
- The employment rate represents employed persons as a percentage of the same age population.
- The employment rate as part of the Europe 2020 Strategy represents the share of persons employed in the population aged 20 to 64.
- The unemployment rate represents the share of unemployed people in the labour force (employed + unemployed) within a given age group.
- The economic activity rate represents the share of the labour force (employed + unemployed) in the total population within a given age group.
The above indicators (employment rate, unemployment rate and economic activity rate) are the most important indicators for international comparisons of the labour market evolution.
Low-skilled people are people who have at best a lower secondary education diploma. Medium-skilled people have obtained an upper secondary education diploma, but no higher education diploma. High-skilled people have a higher education diploma.
Metadata
Survey methodology
- Modifications to the Labour Force Survey (LFS) in 2021
- LFS: Methodological improvements to the Labour Force Survey 2017 (PDF, 99 Kb)
- LFS: Presentation of the survey until 2016 (NL-FR)
- LFS: Presentation of the survey from 2017 (NL-FR)