Strongest decrease in Flemish unemployment since 2011

At the end of last month, 220,920 unemployed people were registered at the Flemish Employment Agency VDAB The Vlaamse Dienst voor Arbeidsbemiddeling en Beroepsopleiding (VDAB, Flemish Public Employment and Professional Training Service) is a Flemish public service that coordinates supply and demand in the employment market, with its main task consisting of serving as an intermediary for job seekers and providing them with support in getting back to work. Since the State reform in 1989, job placement has been a competence of the Regions and job training a competence of the Communities. The VDAB’s counterpart in Wallonia is Forem, and Actiris in Brussels. VDAB as job seekers. That is 9,159 - or 4 percent - less than last year. The last time the number of people looking for a job declined so quickly compared to the previous year was in 2011. It is striking that the short-term as well as the long-term unemployment figures decline so quickly for the second month in a row. “That confirms the transformation taking place on our labour market,” Flemish Minister for Labour Philippe Muyters remarks.

Between 2011 and 2015, there was an uninterrupted increase in the number of unemployed people in Flanders. Since August 2015, this figure has dropped on a monthly basis. “What’s more, this persistent decrease is taking place across almost all age categories,” the Minister notes with satisfaction. For example, youth unemployment (under 25 years) has shown a decline of 2.3 percent. The middle age group (25-50 years) has shown a significant decrease of 5 percent. Unemployment in the 50 and over category has decreased by 3.4 percent. “It is only for the 60 and over category that there is still talk of an increase; however this can be attributed to the rules surrounding prolonged availability,” Muyters explains.

The Tax shift There is a tax shift when a new tax is implemented or an existing tax is increased in order to reduce or get rid of another tax. The N-VA is a proponent of a shift of the burden on labour to that on consumption or environmental pollution, for example, but not of a tax that increases the total burden of taxation. tax shift is working

“When the labour market rebounds, those who have been looking for a job for less than one year are traditionally the first group to benefit,” Muyters states from experience. “The long-term unemployed people have a harder time of it, but now for the past two months in a row already, we’ve also seen solid improvement. That is partially due to the improved economic situation, but also to government measures such as the tax shift that lowers labour costs for companies.”