Young workers first to be made redundant

Last year, 36% of Belgian workers aged 30 or under lost their jobs either through dismissal or not having their contracts renewed, according to the results of a survey by HR firm Securex, published in Le Soir. This is significantly higher than the Belgian average across all age groups, which stands at 11%. The non-renewal of a fixed-term contract is the preferred way for an employer to let a young worker go, the survey found. Other reasons include restructuring, breach of contract or serious misconduct. The survey also found that young workers were the likeliest to hand in their notice. While the average Belgian resignation level last year was 7%, 16% of workers aged 30 or under chose to leave their jobs.