43,000 unemployed people set to lose benefits on Wednesday
As of 1 July, 43,000 unemployed people will lose their benefits. The government is phasing out long-term unemployment, which is expected to result in a total of 173,000 people losing their allowance this year.
As of now, in principle, people can only receive an unemployment allowance for a maximum of two years. People who have been unemployed longer are losing their allowance during the course of the year, depending on the duration of their unemployment. At the beginning of this year, the first two waves hit people who had been unemployed for longer than 20 years and longer than eight years.
According to the government, given current labour market shortages and the budget deficit, it’s unacceptable for people to remain outside the umarket. Only a limited number of those involved are expected to return to work in practice. Of the 46,000 people involved in the first two waves, only 10 per cent have found a job. People who haven’t found a job and have no other income or financial means can turn to municipal social services.
A further change to labour market policies comes into effect on 1 July, which is in contrast with the policy concerning long-term unemployment, experts say. As of Wednesday, the system of flexi-jobs is being expanded to nearly all sectors.
Flexi-jobs are a system in which people who already have a job or are retired can work a limited number of hours without paying taxes. The employer only pays limited social contributions. The system became popular rapidly. In 2025, more than 250,000 people worked in nearly 53,000 companies, although the system was limited to bars, restaurants and retail. From now on, nearly all sectors are allowed to claim the tax advantages, although not all will.
Experts point out that flexi-jobs are often easy jobs, requiring little training or know-how. These jobs would be ideal for people who have been out of work for a long time and whose skills may be limited. However, for employers, using the flexi-jobs system is cheaper than hiring regular employees.
© BELGA PHOTO SISKA GREMMELPREZ