The number of hours worked by temporary agency workers in Belgium decreased by 12.65% in June 2023 when compared to the same period a year ago, according to calendar-basis adjusted data from Federgon, the Belgian federation of staffing agencies.

The 12.65% fall was a further decline from the 4.49% annual decrease seen in May 2023.

June’s year-on-year decline was the result of a decrease in activity of 13.72% in the blue-collar segment and 11.18% in the white-collar segment.

Among regions, Brussels reported an annual fall of 7.35% while the Flanders region recorded a year-on-year fall of 12.89% in June and the Wallonia region saw a decline of 13.95%.

Meanwhile, in June 2023, the number of hours worked for temporary agency work decreased by 2.64% compared to the previous month (based on figures adjusted for seasonal and calendar influences). The decrease was due to a fall in the number of hours worked in the blue-collar segment of 2.68%, and a decrease in the white-collar segment of 1.43%.

All regions reported a decline on a month-on-month basis. Brussels recorded a decrease of 4.08% while Wallonia reported a fall of 5.11%. The Flanders saw the smallest monthly decline of 1.30% in May.

Paul Verschueren, director research & economic affairs, said, “In June, we observe a year-on-year setback of the agency work activities in both the white- and blue-collar segments in all regions. Compared to the previous month, seasonally adjusted figures show a decline as well (-2.64%). This evolution reflects the current macroeconomic climate.”