SME employment in Belgium increased by 0.39% in the third quarter to 113.8 points from the previous quarter, reaching a new record level, according to HR services provider SD Worx.

The increase was due to a rise in employment in the region of Flanders, where employment has increased by 2.3% since the beginning of the year and by 0.65% in the third quarter from the previous quarter.

In Brussels and Wallonia, the growth for the same period of Q3 from the previous quarter was 0.4% and 0.1% respectively. 

The SD Worx SME Employment Index reflects the evolution of structural employment in SMEs since 2005. It does not take into account temporary jobs, such as temporary and student jobs. The Employment Index is based on a sample of 16,496 companies, employing a total of 157,670 people.