Administrative jobs down 20% in Belgium due to computers

In four years, the number of administrative jobs in Belgium dropped by 20%, write Gazet van Antwerpen and Het Belang van Limburg. The number of counter clerks and call centre employees decreased by 40% since 2011.

The figures, which come from a study by the FPS Economy and ING Belgium, reveal that although the computer has replaced a number of jobs in Belgium, the need for high-skilled workers is on the rise. More than 50,000 manager jobs were created in the past four years, an increase of 13%. Healthcare experts, such as doctors and nurse executives, are in highest demand, with a job increase of 31% in the same period.

Secretarial and clerical jobs, on the other hand, are rapidly disappearing, the study shows. In 2011, there were about 91,000 counter clerks, switchboard operators, call centre employees and related professions in Belgium. In 2015, there were less than 55,000.