Belgium reports 40% decline in Brussels unemployment benefit recipients

Actiris, the Brussels employment agency, released July data showing a 40% drop in the number of jobseekers receiving unemployment benefits, a reduction of 20,848 people. The total number of registered seekers rose to 97,392, a 3.4% increase from July 2025, with the unemployment rate climbing to 15.7%, up 0.23 percentage points.

The cut in benefit duration has pushed many former claimants into the public centres for social welfare (CPAS). Since the start of the year, roughly 100,000 excluded workers have turned to CPAS, with about half of new unemployed people seeking assistance. Around 44,000 have received aid, representing 83% of claimants. Demand is highest in Wallonia, followed by Brussels (about 44%) and Flanders (just over a third). The government projects another 80,000 people could lose benefits by July 2027.