In 2023, approximately 260,000 people or 5.2 percent of the working population will have a second job, according to the Belgian statistics agency Statbel. This represents an increase from 3.8 percent in 2018, with highly educated individuals and those aged 25 to 49 being more likely to have another job.
Interestingly, there used to be more men than women with multiple jobs, but this gap has now narrowed. Almost six in ten additional jobs are carried out as self-employed, with popular sectors including human health, education and wholesale and retail trade.
In addition to having a second job or being self-employed, many employed people in Belgium work part-time. Twenty-six percent of all employed individuals work part-time, with women being more likely to do so than men. Women often reduce their working hours to care for children or others while men cite personal reasons for working part-time. The most popular part-time mode for both sexes is four-fifths work.