Belgium Sees Nearly 3,000 Fewer Home Helpers in One Year Due to Cheaper Service Vouchers
The number of home helpers in Belgium has decreased by nearly 3,000 in one year, according to the National Social Security Office. This decline is attributed to the increased cost of service vouchers, a system used to pay for domestic help. In the final quarter of 2025, there were 144,873 individuals employed as home helpers across the country. This represents a reduction of 2,814 individuals, or 2 percent, compared to the same period in the preceding year. The National Social Security Office also suggested that the rise of remote work may have contributed to this trend. The service voucher system is designed to make domestic services more affordable and accessible, but its rising costs appear to be impacting employment in the sector. This situation highlights a potential challenge in maintaining the accessibility and affordability of essential domestic support services for households.
The Belgian government's service voucher system, intended to boost employment in domestic services, appears to be facing unintended consequences due to rising costs. The observed 2% decrease in home helpers, translating to nearly 3,000 fewer jobs, suggests that the economic viability of these roles is being eroded. This trend could indicate a market adjustment where the increased expense of vouchers makes the service less attractive to both employers and potential employees, potentially shifting labor towards other sectors or reducing overall demand. Furthermore, the mention of teleworking suggests a broader societal shift that may be impacting traditional service-based employment models. Policymakers may need to re-evaluate the pricing structure and subsidy mechanisms of the service voucher system to ensure its long-term sustainability and its effectiveness in supporting both employment and household needs in the evolving economic landscape of the next decade.
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