5.2% of both employed women and men have a second job
About 260,000 persons had a second job in 2023. This is 5.2% of the working population. This percentage has stabilised in 2023 and is the same for men and women. Previously, men were more likely to have more than one job than women: in 2000, 4.3% of employed men had a second job versus 3% of employed women.
(a) Break in the results following a reform of the Labour Force Survey.
(b) Break in the results in 2021 due to the revision of the questionnaire and the change in the ILO definitions of unemployment and employment.
It is the 25-49-year-olds who most often have a second job with 5.7% of the working population. Furthermore, 3.9% of young people aged 15-24 have a second job, compared to 4.4% of people over 50.
The higher the education level, the higher the percentage of people with a second job. For instance, 6.5% of employed people with a high level of education have a second job, compared to 4.3% of medium-skilled people and 2.5% of those with a low level of education.
As in previous years, the majority of second jobs are performed on a self-employed basis (58.9%).
The most common sectors for second jobs are:
- Human health and social work activities (13.7%)
- Education (12.3%)
- Wholesale and retail trade; repair of motor vehicles (9.6%)
Number of people with a second job compared to the total number of employed people according to gender
| In % | 2021 (b) | 2022 | 2023 | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Men | Women | Total | Men | Women | Total | Men | Women | Total | ||||||
| Second job | 4.6% | 4.4% | 4.5% | 5.1% | 5.3% | 5.2% | 5.2% | 5.2% | 5.2% | |||||
| No second job | 95.4% | 95.6% | 95.5% | 94.9% | 94.7% | 94.8% | 94.8% | 94.8% | 94.8% | |||||
| Total | 100.0% | 100.0% | 100.0% | 100.0% | 100.0% | 100.0% | 100.0% | 100.0% | 100.0% | |||||
| In number | 2021 (b) | 2022 | 2023 | |||||||||||
| Men | Women | Total | Men | Women | Total | Men | Women | Total | ||||||
| Second job | 117,788 | 99,260 | 217,048 | 134,993 | 124,111 | 259,104 | 137,141 | 122,762 | 259,903 | |||||
| No second job | 2,457,447 | 2,179,187 | 4,636,634 | 2,503,646 | 2,227,536 | 4,731,182 | 2,518,876 | 2,249,664 | 4,768,540 | |||||
| Total | 2,575,235 | 2,278,447 | 4,853,682 | 2,638,639 | 2,351,647 | 4,990,286 | 2,656,017 | 2,372,426 | 5,028,443 | |||||
|
(b) Break in the results in 2021 due to the revision of the questionnaire and the change in the ILO definitions of unemployment and employment. |
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Profile of people with a second job, percentage compared to the total number of employed people
| Gender | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 (b) | 2022 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Men | 3.8% | 4.3% | 4.4% | 4.6% | 5.1% | 5.2% |
| Women | 3.8% | 4.3% | 4.2% | 4.4% | 5.3% | 5.2% |
| Age group | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 (b) | 2022 | 2023 |
| 15-24 | 2.5% | 2.5% | 2.9% | 3.3% | 3.7% | 3.9% |
| 25-49 | 4.3% | 4.9% | 4.9% | 5.0% | 5.9% | 5.7% |
| 50 + | 3.1% | 3.4% | 3.4% | 3.6% | 4.2% | 4.4% |
| Level of education | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 (b) | 2022 | 2023 |
| Low | 2.1% | 2.3% | 2.5% | 2.6% | 2.2% | 2.5% |
| Medium | 3.4% | 3.7% | 3.7% | 3.9% | 4.4% | 4.3% |
| High | 4.6% | 5.5% | 5.2% | 5.3% | 6.5% | 6.5% |
|
(b) Break in the results in 2021 due to the revision of the questionnaire and the change in the ILO definitions of unemployment and employment. |
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Profile of people with a second job, breakdown in %
| Professional status for the second job | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 (b) | 2022 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Employee | 31,3% | 28,9% | 27,9% | 41,1% | 40,9% | 41,1% |
| Self-employed | 50,8% | 50,1% | 52,6% | 58,9% | 59,0% | 58,9% |
| Unknown | 17,9% | 21,0% | 19,5% | - | - | - |
| Economic sector of the second job | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 (b) | 2022 | 2023 |
| A Agriculture, forestry and fishing | * | * | * | * | 2.1% | 3.0% |
| B Mining and quarrying | * | * | * | * | * | * |
| C Manufacturing | 3.4% | 3.1% | 3.5% | 4.5% | 4.5% | 4.8% |
| D Electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply | * | * | * | * | * | * |
| E Water supply; sewerage, waste management and remediation activities | * | * | * | * | * | * |
| F Construction | 4.2% | 4.2% | 4.6% | 5.6% | 5.3% | 6.6% |
| G Wholesale and retail trade; repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles | 7.2% | 7.4% | 8.3% | 10.8% | 9.4% | 9.6% |
| H Transportation and storage | * | * | * | * | * | * |
| I Accommodation and food service activities | 7.5% | 7.9% | 7.3% | 6.6% | 8.5% | 9.4% |
| J Information and communication | 2.8% | 2.9% | 2.9% | 4.3% | 7.1% | 3.4% |
| K Financial and insurance activities | * | * | * | * | * | * |
| L Real estate activities | * | * | * | * | * | * |
| M Professional, scientific and technical activities | 8.7% | 6.3% | 6.4% | 9.1% | 8.1% | 8.6% |
| N Administrative and support service activities | 6.4% | 5.6% | 6.0% | 7.7% | 8.2% | 7.5% |
| O Public administration and defence; compulsory social security | 3.2% | 2.7% | 3.1% | 3.5% | 3.6% | 4.7% |
| P Education | 10.6% | 10.9% | 9.8% | 14.4% | 13.2% | 12.3% |
| Q Human health and social work activities | 13.4% | 13.8% | 13.2% | 16.6% | 15.5% | 13.7% |
| R Arts, entertainment and recreation | 4.3% | 4.0% | 5.1% | 6.3% | 5.5% | 6.4% |
| S Other service activities | 5.1% | 4.1% | 4.0% | 4.4% | 5.8% | 6.6% |
| T Activities of households as employers; undifferentiated goods- and services-producing activities of households for own use | * | * | * | * | * | * |
| U Activities of extraterritorial organisations and bodies | * | * | * | * | * | * |
| Unknown | 18.2% | 21.6% | 20.0% | 0.1% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Total | 100.0% | 100.0% | 100.0% | 100.0% | 100.0% | 100.0% |
|
(b) Break in the results in 2021 due to the revision of the questionnaire and the change in the ILO definitions of unemployment and employment. *too few observations |
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Labour force survey (LFS)
Purpose and short description
The Labour Force Survey (LFS) is a socio-economic household sample survey. Its main objective is to classify the working age population (15 and older) into three groups (employed, unemployed and inactive persons) 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 or older.
Sample frame
Demographic data from the National Register.
Data collection method and sample size
Data are collected through face-to-face interviews. Since 2017, there have been three (shorter) follow-up surveys 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 47,000 households receive a letter asking them to take part in this survey.
Response rate
The response rate is above 75%.
Periodicity
Quarterly
Release calendar
Results availability: around 3 months after the end of the reference period.
Forms
- Labour Force Survey 2020 (PDF, 541 Kb)
- Labour Force Survey 2021 (PDF, 1 Mb)
Definitions
Employed population (ILO): The employed persons are persons aged 15 or older who during the reference week performed work during at least one hour for wage or salary or for profit; or those who had a job but who were temporarily not at work during the reference period. The family workers are also included. The employed persons are divided into three groups according to their professional situation:
Paid employment: All persons aged 15 or older who, during the reference week, performed work during at least one hour for wage or salary in cash or in kind (with or without formal contract), or who were temporarily not at work (due to sickness, maternity leave, holidays, social conflicts, bad weather or for other reasons) and had a formal attachment to their job.
Self-employment: All persons who do not work for an employer and who performed work during at least one hour for profit during the reference week or were temporarily not at work. This category comprises self-employed workers (with no staff), employers (with staff) and unpaid helpers.
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)