Antwerp (The Brussels Morning Newspaper): Wim Brillouet from Voka Mechelen-Kempen helped extend a program for struggling areas, allowing companies to lower hiring costs. Since 2016, it has created over 5,600 jobs after many job losses.
According to Wim Brillouet from Voka Mechelen-Kempen companies in certain “disrupted zones” can get help to lower their costs when hiring new workers. These zones are struggling economically, often because factories have closed or there have been many job losses. The support measure allows companies to reduce their wage costs for two years by lowering what they have to pay in social contributions and giving a nearly 5% tax break for each new employee. This makes it easier for employers to hire new staff without spending too much money.
How is Voka Mechelen-Kempen’s support program creating jobs in Antwerp?
The goal of this measure is to help create jobs and improve the economy in areas that are struggling. By lowering wage costs for companies, it encourages them to hire more workers, which helps local economies get better. The support lasts for two years after new employees are hired, making it a short-term but helpful way for businesses in disrupted zones to grow and keep operating while also creating more job opportunities.
The support program for struggling businesses has been around since 2016. It was supposed to end in October, which would have removed benefits like lower wages for companies. Since these areas still needed help, Voka Mechelen-Kempen and others worked to get the program extended. Their hard work paid off, and the government decided to not only keep the support going but also add more areas. Wim Brillouet said this extension is really important for the economy to grow and stay strong. The support area has increased by about 20 square kilometers, allowing more businesses to benefit from lower wage costs. This bigger area also means companies can get almost a 5% tax break for hiring new employees, which encourages them to create more jobs.
It has been said that in the spring, Van Hool went bankrupt, which caused almost 1,000 job losses in the area. But due to support measures, they’ve created over 5,600 new jobs, about 1,000 each year. Companies need to invest to create jobs that stay in the area for a few years. The Mechelen-Kempen region has become one of the fastest-growing places in Flanders, but it needed this support to help local businesses. In Turnhout, companies are trying to fill 900 job openings, so they’re starting a campaign to attract workers to the city.
