Brussels and East Flemish SMEs have biggest recruitment plans during the second quarter

The employment intentions of Brussels SME employers for the second quarter of 2024 are again high. Together with the SMEs of East Flanders, their recruitment intentions are the highest: 42% say they will recruit staff before the end of June. This is evident from the most recent SME survey by SD Worx.

One in three SMEs in our country has plans to recruit new people, according to SD Worx research. Brussels and East Flemish SMEs in particular have high employment intentions. In the Brussels region this concerns about 40 percent of the companies. In East Flanders that is 42 percent. Only 7 percent of companies are considering letting people go in the coming months. About half of the companies require replacement. No fewer than 62 percent of SMEs indicate that it concerns an expansion of the workforce.

The figures are similar to the same period last year, it says. Employment intentions only decreased in the construction and industrial sectors.

“This is positive news. Brussels and East Flemish SMEs stand out positively this quarter, with the largest recruitment plans and the lowest dismissal intentions. SMEs in Brussels are least affected by long-term vacancies (only 13%): this is mainly a new supply of jobs,” says SD-Worx SME advisor Annelies Rottiers. “But intentions do not immediately translate into reality; filling the jobs is a major challenge. 2023 was a difficult year for our Belgian SMEs to create additional employment.”

“SMEs want to build flexibility into their workforce,” she explains. One in three (33%) of SMEs expect an increase in work in the next quarter… One in ten (11%) expect a decrease in work this quarter. This is better than last quarter: when 16% expected a decrease. People therefore remain cautious in the medium term: only a quarter (27%) expect an increase in employment by the end of 2024.”