Never taken so long to fill jobs 02/10/2007 00:00

2 October 2007

BRUSSELS – It takes on average 46 days for a job opening listed at the Flemish Employment Office VDAB to be filled. That is a record. "It is yet another sign that the shortage on the labour market is quietly becoming problematic," the office says.

Not since 2001 has it taken this long to find a suitable candidate for a job. Ten years ago it took less than a month to fill a job opening. At the same time 3 percent of job openings have to be withdrawn because no suitable candidate turns up. That is also a record that hasn't been matched since 1996.

The VDAB now counts 193 "problem professions," for which it is extremely difficult to fill job openings. The job openings that are difficult to fill call for nurses, accountants, engineers, IT workers, gardeners, spokespersons, electricians, bakers, butchers, cooks, wait staff, cleaners and hairdressers, but also chauffeurs, call centre workers and salespeople.

 54 percent of the openings in "problem professions" do not require any professional diploma.

[Copyright Expatica News 2007]

Subject: Belgian news