Belgian youth interested in self-employment

Currently in Belgium there are about 103,000 self-employed 20-somethings, an increase of 10% compared to last year, reports Het Nieuwsblad based on figures from the National Institute for Social Insurance for Independents (RSVZ/INASTI).

The increased interest could be partially due to the difficulties that many young people experience finding work as an employee, which often leads them to start out on their own. The Neutral Union for the Self-Employed (NSZ) confirms the trend, speaking of a “remarkable phenomenon” among Belgium’s youth, as the total number of self-employed (of all ages) increased by only 1.7% last year compared to 2012.