Proportion of private-sector employees with disabilities is falling, study shows

Only 0.23 per cent of employees in Belgium’s private sector had a disability in 2024, a decrease of around 8 per cent compared to 2023, according to figures from HR specialists Acerta Consult. 

In the private sector in Belgium, 1 in 431 employees has a disability, representing 0.232 per cent of all staff. According to statistics agency Statbel, 9 per cent of the population aged 15-64 has a serious disability or long-term health problems. 

Brussels is the best performer, at 0.36 per cent of employees, followed by Wallonia at 0.31 per cent, with Flanders trailing at 0.19 per cent. 

Labour shortage

The new federal government wants to get 80 per cent of all people of working age into employment by 2029. The rate is currently 72.8 per cent. 

“We cannot afford to leave talent untapped,” said Georgia Venetakis of Acerta in a press release. “There is still a labour shortage and the employment rate needs to go up if we want to secure our prosperity.”

Overall, the labour market participation of people with disabilities continues to decline: in 2023, it was 0.247 per cent in the private sector, a decline of more than 6 per cent in a year. Wallonia saw a decline of more than 18 per cent.

"Sometimes, small changes can make a huge difference"

In Brussels, however, the rate increased by more than 2.2 per cent over the period. The dense public transport network in the capital may contribute to the accessibility of workplaces, which can be an important factor for people with disabilities, Acerta says. 

Venetakis: “There is often a misconception that major adjustments are needed in the workplace to recruit people with disabilities, but that is not always the case. Sometimes, small changes can make a huge difference.”

The survey was based on 407,000 people at more than 29,000 employers in the private sector. According to Acerta, the dataset is representative of the entire Belgian labour market. 

T^{he l'Ouvroir workplace in Brussels, which employs people with a cognitive disability, June 2020 © BELGA PHOTO LAURIE DIEFFEMBACQ}

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