Brussels guides just 5.7% of long-term jobseekers back into work

Of the 3,361 Brussels residents who lost their unemployment benefits on January 1 because they had been jobless for over twenty years, only 5.7% found work between January 1 and October 31, 2025. By comparison, in Wallonia that figure had already reached 35% in September—six times higher.

“This reform ruthlessly exposes how poorly Brussels supports people in finding work or training,” says Brussels MP Gilles Verstraeten. “If only 5.7% of the long-term unemployed manage to get back into the labour market, then the Brussels system is clearly failing.”

No pathway to work—or to training

The results are just as poor when it comes to training. Of the same group, only 4.1%—that’s just 137 people—began vocational training.

“If you genuinely want to help people, you make sure they enter a pathway to work or training much sooner,” Verstraeten continues. “That simply isn’t happening in Brussels.”

Activation plan delayed until March 1

Following the federal reform, the Brussels Government and employment agency Actiris were eventually forced to adopt measures we’ve been calling for for years. The Brussels Action Plan now includes a first appointment within 15 days of registration, monthly follow-ups, and the proposal of job openings or internships from the very first meeting.

However, these measures won’t take effect until March 1, 2026. “That’s far too late, and it explains why Brussels is performing so much worse than Wallonia right now,” says Verstraeten.

Brussels government fails to act

According to Verstraeten, the Brussels coalition parties—who are in opposition at the federal level—bear a heavy responsibility. “In committee debates, they gave long speeches about how inhumane they believed the reform to be, but in the meantime, they’ve done nothing to actually support the Brussels residents at risk of losing their benefits,” he says.

“Under their leadership, long-term unemployment in Brussels has spiralled out of control. Nearly half (46%) of all jobseekers in the region have been unemployed for more than two years. That’s significantly higher than in Flanders (27.8%) and also well above the figure in Antwerp (31.7%). One in four long-term jobseekers (24.4%) has even been without a job for over five years—more than double the rate in Antwerp (11.6%), which is close to the Flemish average of 10.6%.”

“These people were abandoned for years without guidance or perspective—and now it’s happening all over again. There is no timely or robust activation plan. The fact that support will only start on March 1 is a political decision—and once again, thousands of Brussels residents will pay the price,” Verstraeten concludes.