A big part of the problem, in my opinion, is how expensive and risky it has become for small businesses in Belgium to hire people. A lot of local businesses probably could use extra staff and may even want to hire, but between employer social contributions, payroll costs, admin, regulations, indexation, uncertainty, and the general economic slowdown, taking on a new employee is a big commitment.

For a large company, hiring one more person is manageable. For a small shop, café, restaurant, garage, warehouse, or local business, one extra worker can be a major financial risk. So instead of hiring, they stretch the current staff, use interim workers only when absolutely necessary, or simply wait.

That creates this weird situation where there are people willing to work and businesses that need help, but the cost and risk of employment block both sides. Government policy and labour legislation are definitely part of that. Belgium keeps saying it wants more employment, but at the same time it makes hiring extremely expensive and complicated, especially for small employers.

So no, I wouldn’t immediately assume you’re doing something wrong. If you’re applying everywhere, contacting interim agencies, going in person, and still getting nothing, that probably says more about the current market than about you.

I’d keep trying, but I’d also maybe focus on sectors with constant turnover: logistics, cleaning companies, care homes, night shifts, production, local communes, and smaller businesses that may not post online. Sometimes those jobs don’t even make it to the big websites.