In Belgium one in three employees between the ages of 15 and 29 opts for part-time work according to figures from the European statistics agency Eurostat. Among Gen Z folk, the number of part-time workers has risen by 28 per cent in only one year's time. However, this does not mean that they are working less. It is also striking that more and more men under the age of 30 are working part-time.
According to Eurostat figures, approximately 1.35 million Belgians between the ages of 15 and 74 work part-time. This represents 26.2 per cent of all employees in the country.
This puts Belgium well above the European average of 18.4 per cent. Only the Netherlands (43.6 per cent), Germany (31 per cent), Austria (30.5 per cent) and Denmark (27.7 per cent) are above Belgium in the EU ranking.
The high figures for Belgium are mainly due to Gen Z. 31.5 per cent of young people between the ages of 15 and 29 work part-time. This is an increase of 28 per cent in one year. This is striking, because the European average for Gen Z only rose by 2.6 per cent. Belgium is also in the top 5 in Europe within this age category.
Is the younger generation in Belgium working less?
Human Resources experts Acerta see flexibility as one of the reasons why Gen Z chooses part-time work. However, this does not mean that they work less. Young employees are increasingly choosing to combine their permanent job with extra work in a second job, a flexi-job or as a self-employed person.
‘In addition to the security of a permanent job, they also want to discover and develop certain passions that they cannot pursue in their main job,’ says Annelies Bries. She is a legal expert at Acerta, which analysed the figures for Belgium.
Sometimes it is also a necessity for young people to take on an extra job. ‘Due to economic uncertainty, employers are more cautious about hiring new people full-time. Young people in particular are the first to experience this barrier to entry.’
Young people also want financial security and therefore look for an extra job. The Belgian flexi-job system helps in this. ‘This system has been systematically expanded in recent years. It offers flexibility for employers, but also for employees who can supplement their income up to a certain limit.’
Men in particular are more likely to work part-time
Gen Z is making its mark on the labour market, and this is also evident in other areas. Across all age groups, the gap between men and women working part-time is narrowing. However, the increase among Gen Z is particularly striking.
More than a quarter of men under the age of 30 work part-time. This represents an increase of 46.2 per cent in one year. However, more women than men still work part-time. Almost 4 in 10 women under the age of 30 choose a part-time job, an increase of 18.2 per cent in the past year.
According to Acerta, there is ‘a clear shift’ in working patterns. ‘Whereas in the past it was only women who took on caring responsibilities by working part-time, we are now seeing more men doing so too,’ says Bries. ‘On the one hand, men are increasingly choosing to work part-time in order to take on caring responsibilities. On the other hand, women are increasingly seeking opportunities to work full-time.’
‘This can also be partly explained by the introduction of parental leave that can be taken for only a tenth of working hours. This offers the possibility, for example, to be at home with the children on Wednesday afternoons.’
The Belgian labour market is also evolving differently from that in the rest of Europe in terms of gender. The European average for young men working part-time remained virtually constant. The proportion of young women saw a slight increase.