Belgium: employment at the center of the recovery

Employment.  On July 3, Eli di Rupo’s socialist government launched a bargaining cycle with the social partners to define the outline of his future recovery program.  Employment should be at the center of the measures, some of which will be revealed on July 21, and as employment is expected to reach 7.5 percent at the end of the year.  The government is planning tax exemption for SMEs on their first three recruitments.  Also, jobseekers should be offered 10,000 in-house internships, and there will be employment support measures for people over 55.  Besides, the government could raise the fixed amount of the tax exemption which applies to some incomes, to increase the difference between unemployment benefits and minimum wage – making work more appealing.
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ll be employment support measures for people over 55. Besides, the government could raise the fixed amount of the tax exemption which applies to some incomes, to increase the difference between unemployment benefits and minimum wage – making work more appealing.

Reforming the index. “It is time to be creative. We have to try and do more and better with the budget we have” declared the Belgian Prime Minister after the first dialogue meeting with the social partners. Since the left-center-righ

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