Record Quarter Million Belgians Now Working as Flexi-Jobbers
A record 261,868 people in Belgium combined their main job or pension with a flexi-job in 2025, marking a 14% increase from the previous year, according to new data from the National Social Security Office (RSZ). Together, these workers performed nearly 360,000 flexi-jobs — also up 14% — as the controversial tax-free work scheme continues to grow in popularity across the country.
The figures, published on 5 June 2026 by VRT NWS, show that nearly 53,000 businesses now employ flexi-jobbers, a 12% increase from 2024. The vast majority of these employers — 88.3% — also have regular employees, suggesting the system complements rather than replaces standard employment.
What Is a Flexi-Job?
Introduced in 2015, Belgium’s flexi-job system allows employees working at least 4/5 of a full-time schedule — as well as pensioners — to earn supplementary income with significant tax advantages. Workers pay no income tax or social security contributions on flexi-job earnings up to €18,000 per year, while employers pay a 28% contribution rate compared to 25% for regular employees.
Originally limited to the hospitality sector, the scheme has been progressively expanded. In May 2026, the federal government approved extending flexi-jobs to all sectors under an opt-out system, with implementation expected by September 2026, as reported by VRT NWS.
Modest Earnings, Growing Participation
Despite the surge in participation, earnings remain modest. The median annual income from a flexi-job is approximately €1,900, with the vast majority earning well below €12,000 per year. “It clearly concerns supplementary income,” said Jasper Hubeau, Director of the Financial and Statistical Service at RSZ, as quoted by Belga News Agency.
The largest age group of flexi-jobbers is 25–39, but participation among over-50s and over-65s is rising sharply. Slightly more women (52%) than men take on flexi-jobs, and most work fewer than 100 hours per year.
A System Under Debate
The flexi-job scheme has become a flashpoint in Belgium’s labour policy debate, with sharply divided opinions on its economic and social impact.
Supporters: A Vital Tool for Labour Shortages
Employers’ organizations strongly back the system. Frank Beckx, CEO of Voka, argued that “flexi-jobs help fill bottlenecks in a labour market with structural shortages,” calling the growth “not a derailment, but a signal” that policy must catch up with modern work preferences. Joran Ceulebroeck of UNIZO added that the system generates economic activity that would not otherwise exist, telling VRT NWS: “You can hardly speak of a loss for the state treasury when it concerns extra work that is officially registered.”
Employment Minister David Clarinval (MR), the architect of the expansion, defended the scheme, stating: “There will indeed be some abuse here and there, but research shows that flexi-jobs actually create jobs.”
Critics: A Threat to Fairness and Public Finances
Labour economist Prof. Ive Marx of the University of Antwerp has emerged as a leading critic, describing flexi-jobs as “a very strange phenomenon” that “doesn’t exist anywhere in the world.” In an interview with Radio 1, he called the system “almost legalised undeclared work,” warning that it risks displacing regular workers. “We must dare to ask the question: are people who are already in a good position now getting jobs at the expense of people who have no work?” Marx said.
He also raised concerns about the budgetary impact, arguing that the government foregoes tax revenue at a time of high deficits. RSZ’s Hubeau, however, offered a more nuanced view, noting that the government both wins and loses: higher employer contributions and reduced undeclared work partially offset the tax exemptions.
The Sickness Benefit Controversy
A particularly contentious issue is the combination of flexi-jobs with long-term sickness benefits. Federal MP Nathalie Muylle (CD&V) has proposed banning the practice, arguing it undermines the social security system when people simultaneously receive benefits and earn tax-free income.
What’s Next
The planned expansion of flexi-jobs to all sectors still requires parliamentary approval, with a vote expected by the end of July 2026. If passed, the measure would represent a fundamental shift: instead of a positive list of eligible sectors, flexi-jobs would be permitted everywhere unless a sector explicitly opts out.
As Belgium grapples with structural labour shortages and a high government deficit, the flexi-job debate encapsulates a broader tension between labour market flexibility and the sustainability of social security. The coming months will test whether the system’s remarkable growth can continue without exacerbating the very inequalities it was designed to address.