The number of vacancies in Flanders fell for the ninth month in a row in March according to figures from Flemish employment agency VDAB. Despite the fall demand for labour is significantly higher than pre-pandemic.
31,639 vacancies were reported to the VDAB last month. The figure is down nearly 16% on the year. Still the agency urges caution when examining the figures as the number of vacancies was at an all-time high last year.
“The sky-high figures are well and truly behind us” says the VDAB’s Joke Van Bommel. “A year ago we were witnessing a restart following the pandemic and the labour market was making good lost ground. This year figures are lower, but still historically high”.
Over the past year 367,156 vacancies were reported to the VDAB. The figure is down 7% on the year. Compared with the prepandemic situation the number of vacancies today is still over 28% higher.
The greatest demand was noticeable in banking, construction, ICT and energy, water and refuse processing. Figures fell in services including hospitality, cleaning, tourism and sport, in the wood and furniture and the metal and textile industries.