With an employment rate of around 72%, below the European average, and one of the Union's highest labour costs, jobs structure Belgium's economic debate. Discussions focus on the duration of unemployment benefits, their degressivity, the cost and flexibility of labour, and reduced working time. Positions split between two poles: cutting employer charges and activating jobseekers, or strengthening worker protection and social rights.
In short
"Pro-business" polePro-business
"Worker protection" poleWorker protection
UpdatedJun 22, 2026
Where the parties stand on Jobs & economy
Pro-businessWorker protection
#Party & stancePositionPole
1PSPSFRThe PS defends a four-day, 32-hour week with no loss of pay and compensatory hiring, and opposes limiting unemployment benefits in time.87+
2PTBPTB·PVDAFR·NL⚑ Radical stanceThe PTB·PVDA proposes a 30-hour week with no loss of pay, a minimum wage of 15 euros per hour, and opposes limiting unemployment benefits in time.95+
3VRTVooruitNLVooruit proposes a minimum wage of 15 euros per hour, or 2,500 euros gross monthly, and backs collective working-time reduction toward a 32-hour week.80+
4ECOEcoloFREcolo defends reducing working time toward a four-day, 32-hour week paid as 35, paired with job creation and a better sharing of work.78+
5LELes EngagésFRLes Engagés propose limiting unemployment benefits to two years, then guaranteeing a right to a job through community-service work paid at the sector's minimum wage.50~
6CD&VCD&VNLCD&V proposes reforming unemployment benefits to make them more activating: higher amounts in the first months, then stronger degressivity after one year.45~
7VBVlaams BelangNL⚑ Radical stanceVlaams Belang proposes a sharp reduction of taxes on labour, by raising the tax-free allowance and lowering the second income-tax bracket, alongside rights-and-obligations activation.42−
8MRMRFRThe MR proposes limiting unemployment benefits to two years, except for those over 55, while raising them in the first six months and strengthening support back into work.18−
9VLDOpen VLDNLOpen VLD proposes limiting unemployment benefits to two years with stronger degressivity and cutting labour charges so that working pays more.15−
10N-VAN-VANLThe N-VA proposes limiting unemployment benefits to a maximum of two years, with higher protection for the first three months and a sharper decline thereafter.12−
+Closer to: Worker protection (≥ 60)~Mixed / centrist stance (45–59)−Closer to: Pro-business (< 45)⚑Radical stance
⚑For neutrality, parties with radical positions (PTB·PVDA on the left, Vlaams Belang on the right) are never ranked first, even when their stance is the most pronounced on the axis: they are placed just below the first party of government. The rule applies identically on the left and on the right.
Frequently asked questions
How do you read this Jobs & economy ranking?−
This is a POSITIONS view, not a "best party" verdict. Each party is placed on a 0–100 axis between two poles — "Pro-business" (low) and "Worker protection" (high) — based on its official 2024 manifesto, parliamentary votes, the Chapel Hill Expert Survey and Belgian media. A higher score simply means a position closer to the "Worker protection" pole, not a better or worse stance.