It’s a unanimous: Belgium is facing a serious and rough labor crisis.
Indeed, there are certain sectors that are having a very hard time finding workers.
The FOREM (Wallonia’s employment agency) has just published its new list of jobs in shortage in Wallonia.
Unfortunate fact: 15 new functions appear in this list!
For 37 of the jobs on this list, 30% of the workers are over 50 and will soon be retired. Thus, the shortage for these jobs is likely to increase further in the coming years.
Moreover, according to the FOREM, since the beginning of the year, about 40% of the positions advertised on their website concern a profession in shortage or in a critical sector.
The other Belgian regions also have to face an important labor shortage.
These are the top 3 sectors impacted by the crisis:
- Construction
- Hotel and Catering
- Transport
Sadly, these jobs are less attractive to Belgian workers.
Are you an employer and have a difficult time in finding a worker?
We have the solution for you!
You can recruit a foreign worker by applying for a single permit for him/her.
Applying for a single permit in a shortage area will allow you to obtain this permit almost automatically and without need for an analysis of the job market.
The application for the single permit involves requesting a work permit for your future worker from the Region where the head office is located.
Once this authorisation is granted, your worker will be able to obtain a residence permit in Belgium.
What conditions must be fulfilled?
· Drafting an employment contract
· A remuneration that respects the remuneration set by the joint commissions
· A clean criminal record.
· A job in a sector in shortage. Under this link you will find our list of sectors in shortage and which will allow you to obtain almost automatically a single permit for your worker in Belgium.
The Region will review the application based on the documents provided.
In the event of a request for additional information, a time limit of 15 days must be respected otherwise the request will be inadmissibile.
Once the application for a single permit is declared admissible, the Region has a period of 4 months to take its decision. If no decision is taken within this period the application is automatically accepted.
In principle, the single permit is valid for one year.
Our law firm can help you recruit your precious gem!