According to the latest figures from the Brussels regional employment service Actiris 96,161 people in the capital were registered as jobseekers at the end of last month. This is a rise of 4% on the figures from the end of October last year. The rise in the number of jobseekers is greatest among those with high levels of academic attainment.
In October 2025 there were more people resistering with Actiris (11,546) than there were people living in the Brussels-Capital Region that were on the regional employment services books and found new jobs (10,078).
This is a net increase of also 1,500 in the number of jobseekers in Brussels. Almost half (48%) of those registered with Actiris are women, just over half (52%) are men.
The increase is evident in almost all age groups. The year-on-year increase was greatest among those younger than 25 (+6.1%) and those aged between 25 and 49 (+4.6%).
A growing number of well-qualified people are also seeking work. The number of people with high levels of academic attainment that are registered as jobseekers with Actiris has increased by more than 10% during the past year. Meanwhile, the number of people that have been without work for more than 2 years has also increased.