Brussels unemployment at lowest rate since 2009

There are less than 100,000 unemployed residents in the Brussels-Capital Region, the lowest figure since 2009. Since then, the unemployment rate in the Region has decreased by an average of 7.1% annually, writes Brusselnieuws.

As of late February this year, 99,828 people in the Region received unemployment benefits, for an overall unemployment rate of 18.2%, compared to 20.3% in the same month last year. "That is similar to the number of unemployed persons in July, 2009, but then the population was smaller," says a spokesperson from the Brussels unemployment office Actiris.

The number of unemployed in the Region decreases by about 7,635 persons (-7.1%) every year. According to Actiris, the positive trend can be explained by an increase in interim recruitment, or temporary jobs. The unemployment office also claims that more employers are finding their way to Actiris, facilitating their search for employees.