Belgium: the national employment services publishes its 2008 annual report

Compensation figures. The average number of people receiving benefits from the ONEM each month, directly or indirectly, is the same as last year. In more detail, the group of jobseekers receiving compensation – i.e. 658.590 people – decreased of 4.6% compared with 2007, workers supported by the ONEM increased of 7.2%, mostly because of partial unemployment measures. The report also evaluates the program for accompanying jobseekers established by the ONEM, which has recently been criticized by the Walloon Federation of Public Social Protection Centers (CPASs) (see our dispatch No. 090279). Whereas, in 2008, there were 6.425 limited benefit breaks and 4.523 exclusions from the unemployment system, these figures were, respectively, 4.896 and 2.562 in 2007. Concerning the fight against tax evasion, more efforts have been made. In the quest for faux social documents, 591 dubious businesses were detected and 3.273 workers’ cases were examined.
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er, the gender gap is getting smaller. Although the ONEM sees this as a success for the system, others are talking about a new form of temporary unemployment as a direct consequence from businesses’ decrease in productivity. Finally, the annual report also confirms the success of service employment vouchers. 65 million were sold to 778.000 users, i.e. an increase of almost 30% in one year.


Compensation figures. The average number of people receiving benefits from the ONEM each month, directly or

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