Like the rest of the European Union Member States, Belgium has also been badly hit by an absence of workers in essential sectors, which the country is trying to tackle by hiring foreign staff.
According to EURES, which is the European cooperation network of employment services, while the vacancy rate in Belgium has fallen to 2.9 per cent in the fourth quarter of 2020, from 3.4 per cent in the same quarter of 2019, hundreds of professions in the country are in short supply of workers.
At the same time, the country is also the third in the EU with the longest list of vacancies for which it struggles to find workers from inside the bloc as these professions are also widely sought after throughout the whole of Europe, SchengenVisaInfo.com reports.
In order to tackle this problem, each of the Belgian regions – Brussels, Wallonia, and Flanders – have their lists of workers that are needed most in their territory, for which foreign workers can apply, and move to work and live in that region of Belgium.
In general, most jobs with high demand in Belgium are in the following sectors:
- IT
- Services
- Finance and banking
- Medicine
- Industry and production
- Construction
- Hospitality
- Retail
- Transport and logistics
However, each region has a specific list of positions that they need most, for which foreigners can apply, and with a contract offer, also move to Belgium to live and work.
Brussels
The Brussels Capital Region is the main area of employment in the country, and very attractive for jobseekers. Out of the three regions, Brussels also has the fastest growing population, which in spite of being a strength for the future, is also quite challenging.
In July last year, the regional employment office Actiris of the Brussels-Capital Region has reported that there are 113 professions in this region for which employers are struggling to recruit, the majority of which are professions like IT, education, and personal care.
The job positions which are open for foreigners in this region, according to their sector, are as follows:
- Administrative: commercial services agent, human resources management assistant, director/administrative officer, director/head of human resources management, recruitment and selection director/manager, administrative employee, employee social laws and wages, accounting department employee, specialized legal services employee, office manager, commercial secretary, executive secretary, medical secretary, and telephone operator – secretary
- Food: boucher, boulanger, baker, and pastry chef
- Trade and sales support: marketing assistant / market analyst, sales representative (b2c), service delegate (b2b), technical delegate (b2b), trading house manager, inbound call center operator, purchasing manager, call center manager, international trade manager (import/export), sales manager, marketing manager, outbound telemarketer/call center, seller of tools, do-it-yourself articles, home and household goods seller, and wholesale seller
- Communication: assistant of communication, communications director/head, public relations specialist, and translator
- Accounting, consulting and management: accountant, business management and organization consultant, tax advisor, economist, expert accountant, lawyer, quality control and method manager, and project manager,
- Construction: architect, maintenance heating engineer , specializing in burner regulation, works supervisor, roofer – roofing zinc worker, architectural/building draftsman, public works, building electrician, architect engineer, road worker, worker specialized in construction: building renovation, plumber and construction technician (any specialty)
- Education and training: training coordinator, language trainer-instructor, maternal teacher, primary teacher, special Dutch teacher, 1st and 2nd-degree secondary school teacher, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th-grade secondary school teacher
- Finance and insurance: advisor in banking and insurance products, finance director/head
- insurance company employee, and claims manager
- Catering industry: barman, chef, party leader, head waiter, qualified kitchen clerk, cook, cook catering service, employee at the day reception (hotels), restaurant waiter, waitress, restaurant manager, and butler
- Computer science: database administrator, functional analyst, system analyst, analyst programmer, network architect, it project manager, it consultant, network manager, software engineer, programmer, system programmer, computer tester, and web developer
- Engineers: civil engineer of civil constructions, civil engineer in electromechanical, production engineer, civil construction industrial engineer, industrial engineer in chemistry or biochemistry
- electrical industrial engineer, electromechanical industrial engineer
- Technical professions: industrial electrician – fitter and repairer, electro – mechanic in general, control inspector, quality control, industrial maintenance mechanic, industrial fitter – cabler, production worker specializing in the chemical industry, body painter, research and , development laboratory technician, production methods technician, telecommunications technician, electromechanical technician, electronics technician, technician in the exploitation of heating, ventilation, and air conditioning energies, and tôlier and bodywork
- Health and social work: nursing assistant, health assistant (patent), cultural/artistic animator, social worker, assistant social, childcare assistant (certificate), head educator or group leader educator, professional integration or guidance counselor, dentist, dietitian, director/social sector manager, class 1 educator, occupational therapist, bachelor/hospital graduate nurse
- bachelor/graduate nurse in geriatrics, bachelor/graduate nurse in pediatrics, registered hospital nurse, social/community health nurse, physiotherapist, speech therapist, general practitioner, specialist doctors, pharmacist, childcare worker, supervisor – educator, and medical laboratory technologist
- Logistic transport: Taxi driver (permit b and medical selection), Truck driver license c, HGV driver’s license, Warehouse and platform manager
- Other: Mixed hairdresser, Beauty and wellness specialist, Real estate agent, Prevention adviser
Wallonia
The French-speaking region of southern Belgium, Wallonia, has a population of 3.644 million. Yet, like the rest of the country, it needs workers in some specific and vital areas, in order to keep the economy and the region going.
The region has a current list of 75 professions for which it admits third-country nationals to work. The list is valid for the period between October 1, 2022 and September 30, 2023, and consists of the following professions:
- Accountants
- Cooks and chef
- Business Services Sales Representative
- General care nurse and specialized care nurse, medical imaging technologist, medical laboratory technologist, and speech therapist
- IT Developer
- Responsible commercial
- Credit analyst
- Road worker, pipelayer, formworker, and mason
- Ceiling light, Charpentier, and roofer and shell and roof insulator
- Electrician installer, security system installer, and sanitary and heating fitter
- Fountain worker, Air conditioning/ventilation fitter, refrigeration fitter, glazier and tiler
- Coach driver and truck driver
- Earth-moving machinery driver, driver of construction machinery and road maintenance, and tower crane driver
- Customs declarant and sheet metal worker
- Machining Systems Technician (metal), welder, industrial pipe fitter
- industrial maintenance mechanic, civil engineering mechanic, and agricultural mechanic and technical works
- Heavy duty mechanic and versatile mechanic
- Automotive Maintenance and Diagnostic Technician (MDA)
- Tôlier and bodywork
- industrial maintenance electrician and industrial maintenance electromechanics
- Chemical industries manufacturing operator
- Pilot of installations in the food industry
- Textile product manufacturing machine operator
- Boulanger
- Slaughterer (meat processing)
- Boning cutter, boucher, and carpenter
- Production Planner (Planning Officer), and production technician for (process) industries
- Industrial installation, maintenance technician, Automation technician, heating maintenance and operation technician, refrigeration technician, and electronic maintenance technician
- Head of Industrial and logistics management and production manager
- Technical sales associate, and industrial maintenance manager
- construction draftsman, construction design office technician, and site manager
- Construction team leader, logistics manager and warehouse supervisor
- Manager of transport operations and logistics services (dispatcher road transport of goods)
- Teacher, within the limits of the functions of the list of functions in shortage in education, established by the French Community”
Flanders
Flanders is the Dutch-speaking northern portion of Belgium, which in order to tackle the problem of labour shortages has established a list of the high-demand occupations which lack manpower. The list is updated every two years, and the current one has been in place since April 1, 2023.
According to the Flemish Service for Employment and Vocational Training, the following ten job titles have dominated the shortage professions list for several years now:
- Nurse
- Site leader
- Technician industrial installations
- Cleaner at people’s house
- Tractor-trailer driver
- Maintenance Mechanic
- Construction
- Workersin fruit cultivation
- Accountant – tax consultant
- Industrial electrical installer