ManpowerGroup announces the appointment of Ronny Lommelen as Country Manager for Belgium & Luxembourg
6 October 2025
The Net Employment Outlook falls to +14%, its lowest level in nearly five years, with Belgium ranking 5 points below the European average and 10 points below the global average.
According to the ManpowerGroup Employment Outlook Survey , Belgian employers anticipate a further slowdown in hiring during the first quarter of 2026. Of the 506 employers surveyed by ManpowerGroup in October, 32% expect to increase their workforce by the end of March 2026, while 17% plan to reduce headcount. 41% of respondents foresee no change.
After seasonal adjustment, the Net Employment Outlook(1) – the difference between the percentage of employers expecting to hire and those anticipating workforce reductions – stands at a cautious +14%. This represents a decline of 3 points compared to the previous quarter and 13 points compared to Q1 2025. It marks the fourth consecutive decrease, bringing the Outlook to its lowest level since Q2 2021. With this figure, Belgium is 5 points below the European average (+19%) and 10 points below the global average (+24%).
“ According to our survey, Belgian employers plan to limit hiring during the first quarter of 2026 due to persistent economic uncertainty.In this context, employers are focusing on stability and strategic investments to stay competitive,” explains Ronny Lommelen, Managing Director of ManpowerGroup BeLux. “On the labor market, this translates into targeted recruitment and contrasting dynamics across sectors.”
Economic caution reshapes workforce strategies
Economic uncertainty continues to influence how employers approach workforce planning.
Among organizations maintaining headcount, 29% believe they can achieve their objectives with their current staff, prioritising hiring freezes and strict cost control.
The impact is more pronounced among companies reducing staff: 27% anticipate restructurings involving reorganization or downsizing, 22% say that economic challenges are negatively affecting staffing, while 19% report that automation has reduced the need for certain roles.
Conversely, job creation is mainly driven by organizational growth (37%) and the development of new business areas requiring additional skills (26%).
Employers in Flanders show greater resilience
As in the previous quarter, employers in Flanders stand out for their stronger resilience (+20%), ahead of their counterparts in Brussels (+15%) and Wallonia (+8%). However, hiring intentions have declined sharply in all three regions compared to the same period last year: -8 points in Flanders, -14 points in Brussels, and -18 points in Wallonia.
Contrasting employment outlook across sectors
Employers in 8 of the 9 sectors(2) surveyed in Belgium plan to increase headcount by the end of Q1 2026. However, hiring prospects have declined in 5 sectors compared to the previous quarter and in 7 sectors compared to Q1 2025.
Employers in Hospitality (+46%), Professional, Scientific & Technical Services (+31%), and Trade & Logistics (+28%) report the most favorable hiring intentions, while those in Public Sector, Health & Social Services (0%) and Construction & Real Estate (-1%) are the most pessimistic.
Elsewhere, employers anticipate moderate hiring activity in Information & Telecommunications (+17%) and more modest growth in Finance & Insurance (+11%), Utilities & Natural Resources (+10%), and Manufacturing (+9%).
“Companies continue their transformation and strengthen technology investments: employers in the Tech and IT Services subsector anticipate strong hiring activity (+33%), up 8 points compared to the same period last year,” adds Ronny Lommelen.
By company size, employers with fewer than 10 employees report the most optimistic Outlook (+31%), while organizations in all other segments show declines compared to Q1 2025.
Positive employment Outlook in 39 of 41 countries surveyed globally
ManpowerGroup’s survey of nearly 40,000 employers reveals positive hiring intentions in 39 of the 41 countries surveyed. The global Net Employment Outlook stands at +24%, relatively stable compared to both the previous quarter and year-over-year.
Employment remains under greater pressure in Europe, where the Outlook reaches +19%, down 3 points compared to the same period last year. Hiring intentions declined in 5 of 19 countries quarter-over-quarter and in 9 countries year-over-year.
With a Net Employment Outlook of +14%, Belgium ranks 15th among the 19 countries surveyed in Europe. Compared to its neighbors, Belgium is ahead of the UK (+13%) but well behind the Netherlands (+36%), Germany (+24%), and France (+21%).
Elsewhere in the world, the Outlook reaches +52% in India, +27% in the United States, +24% in China, and +18% in Japan.
The results of the next ManpowerGroup Employment Outlook Survey will be released on 10 March 2026 (Quarter 2 2026).
Report Q1 2026 : ManpowerGroup Employment Outlook Survey
(1) Throughout this report, we use the term “Net Employment Outlook.” This figure is derived by taking the percentage of employers anticipating an increase in hiring activity and subtracting from this the percentage of employers expecting to see a decrease in employment at their location in the next quarter. The result of this calculation is the Net Employment Outlook. The analysis is based on seasonnally adjusted data.
(2) ManpowerGroup has introduced an updated industry sector classification to ensure our insights more closely reflect today’s global economy. Beginning with this release, data will be reported across nine sectors: Construction & Real Estate; Finance & Insurance; Hospitality; Information; Manufacturing; Professional, Scientific & Technical Services; Public Sector, Health & Social Services; Trade & Logistics and Utilities & Natural Resources. Historical data has been reclassified to maintain consistency over time, and national and regional results remain unchanged. This update enhances comparability with other research and ensures greater relevance for clients, media, and market stakeholders.
