2023-11-07 17:00:00
The Brussels Minister in charge of Employment Bernard Clerfayt (Défi) got a little carried away this afternoon on X (formerly Twitter). The Défi elected official proudly announced that the unemployment rate had decreased by 3.9% in October of this year compared to October 2022, to reach 11.3%. A rate never seen since the birth of the Brussels region, which has fluctuated between 13.8 and 20% since 1989.
Unemployment rate in Brussels. ©ACTIRIS
The Schaerbeek resident relied on the latest press release published by Actiris this morning. In reality, explains the press release, “at the end of October 2023, the unemployment rate in the Brussels Region stands at 15.1% (14.5% for men and 15.8% for women). In October 2022, the unemployment rate stood at 15.3%.” That is a decrease of 0.2 points in annual variation.
For the record, “the unemployment rate is measured on the basis of the most recent active population, calculated using data from the National Bank and the Labor Force Survey of the FPS Economy. Cross-referencing these data tells us that the active population has, in the Brussels Region, increased in 2022 by 4.0% compared to the previous year,” the press release attempts to popularize.
Unemployment rate in Brussels. ©ACTIRIS
The Minister of Employment deleted his tweet half an hour later. In its defense, Actiris’ monthly communications on unemployment in Brussels are very often extremely vague. This popularization work aimed at the general public completely misses its target here.
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