Belgian economy expected to grow 0.3 per cent in final quarter of 2024
The Belgian economy is expected to have grown 0.3 per cent in the last three months of the year, the same as in the third quarter, according to the National Bank. Figures from the Flemish employment agency VDAB show that there are fewer vacancies in Flanders.
Household consumption is expected to slow down but remain positive. Investment is also likely to contribute to growth, albeit only moderately in terms of business investment, the National Bank said. For the fourth quarter, forecasts assume a stabilisation in the economy.
The VDAB received 22,000 vacancies in November, or almost 12 per cent less than a year earlier. There is less demand for highly skilled personnel in particular: the number of vacancies requiring a higher education diploma dropped by 20 per cent. There are also fewer vacancies for which no diploma is required, or for which third and fourth grade secondary education suffices, but there the drop is less significant.
More than 300,000 vacancies were reported to the VDAB during the past 12 months, almost 10 per cent less than in the previous 12 months.
#FlandersNewsService | © BELGA PHOTO JONAS ROOSENS
Related news
