An hour worked costs Belgian employers 48.61 euros on average, a fifth more than in 2020

Labour costs at Belgian companies with more than ten employees rose by around 20 percent between 2020 and 2024, according to figures from the statistics office Statbel reported by Business AM. An hour worked cost the employer an average of 48.61 euros in 2024, compared with 40.50 euros four years earlier. Statbel makes this calculation every four years at the request of the European Commission and publishes it two years after the reference year, IndexBox explains.

The gap between sectors is wide. The most expensive are energy production and distribution, at 79.80 euros an hour, and financial services and insurance, at 74.20 euros. At the other end are hospitality, at 31.60 euros, and administrative and support services, at 36.60 euros. Larger companies pay more: from 41.80 euros at firms with 10 to 49 employees to 52.20 euros at companies with more than 1,000 employees.

Brussels is the most expensive region at 55.90 euros an hour, ahead of Flanders at 48.10 euros and Wallonia at 45.60 euros. Direct wages and bonuses make up 65.7 percent of costs, and employer social security contributions 19.3 percent. The rest includes pay for days not worked, accounting for 8.4 percent, Business AM reports.