Aviation overtakes pharma industry as most sought-after job sector in Belgium
The pharmaceutical industry has lost its long-held position as Belgium's most attractive employment sector, overtaken this year by aviation. This shift is highlighted in the latest edition of the Randstad Employer Brand Research, an annual survey conducted by HR services provider Randstad.
Randstad surveyed more than 12,000 people about Belgium's largest private companies. While aviation and pharmaceuticals shared the top spot last year, aviation has now taken a clear lead.
Although the attractiveness of the sector fell slightly - by almost 1 percentage point to 47.4 per cent - the pharmaceutical industry saw a more significant drop of more than 2 points, and now stands at 46.3 per cent.
It is only the second time in 25 years that a sector other than pharmaceuticals has topped the list. The only other time pharmaceuticals was overtaken was in 2009, when the media sector ranked highest.
Pandemic recovery
"The attractiveness of aviation as an employer never really suffered during the Covid-19 pandemic," Randstad spokesperson Wim Van der Linden said in a press release. "What's more, since the travel restrictions were lifted in 2022, airlines around the world have reported month-on-month increases in passenger numbers."
"The fact that aviation is now the most popular sector to work in shows that the magic of travel is stronger than ever"
According to the International Air Transport Association, the aviation sector had fully recovered by June 2024, with flight volumes in some regions now exceeding pre-pandemic levels.
"The continued wave of ‘revenge travel’ and the prospect of a dynamic, international work environment make aviation a top choice for job seekersn" Van der Linden said. "The fact that aviation is now the most popular sector to work in shows that the magic of travel is stronger than ever."
Media company Mediahuis was named Belgium's most attractive employer, followed by pharmaceutical company UCB and financial services provider Euroclear - often in the international spotlight as the financial institution holding frozen Russian assets. Mediahuis faces growing criticism for the media concentration it has created.
© BELGA PHOTO HATIM KAGHAT
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