Search

Following the loss of competitiveness of most European countries with respect to the other major economic powers since the 1970s, as part of its “Europe 2020” programme, the European Union has set the objective to allocate 3% of the GDP to research and development (R&D). As part of its national reform programme, Belgium decided to follow this objective. This analysis attempts to highlight this effort at the level of the Belgian federated entities according to forecast hypotheses for GDP, R&D expenditure and its distribution between the private and public sector for 2020. With respect to the hypotheses considered, the Brussels Region would only achieve 1.9% of the GDP by this time, mainly due to a lack of private R&D expenditure in the regional territory. The Flemish Region would basically reach the objective in 2020 and the Walloon Region would exceed it thanks to a significant increase in private expenditure. At national level, Belgium would reach the objective in 2020 overall, thanks to compensations, in particular in terms of private expenditure, between the Walloon and Brussels regions

Following the loss of competitiveness of most European countries with respect to the other major economic powers since the 1970s, as part of its “Europe 2020” programme, the European Union has set the objective to allocate 3% of the GDP to research and development (R&D). As part of its national reform programme, Belgium decided to follow this objective. This analysis attempts to highlight this effort at the level of the Belgian federated entities according to forecast hypotheses for GDP, R&D expenditure and its distribution between the private and public sector for 2020. With respect to the hypotheses considered, the Brussels Region would only achieve 1.9% of the GDP by this time, mainly due to a lack of private R&D expenditure in the regional territory. The Flemish Region would basically reach the objective in 2020 and the Walloon Region would exceed it thanks to a significant increase in private expenditure. At national level, Belgium would reach the objective in 2020 overall, thanks to compensations, in particular in terms of private expenditure, between the Walloon and Brussels regions

Following the loss of competitiveness of most European countries with respect to the other major economic powers since the 1970s, as part of its “Europe 2020” programme, the European Union has set the objective to allocate 3% of the GDP to research and development (R&D). As part of its national reform programme, Belgium decided to follow this objective. This analysis attempts to highlight this effort at the level of the Belgian federated entities according to forecast hypotheses for GDP, R&D expenditure and its distribution between the private and public sector for 2020. With respect to the hypotheses considered, the Brussels Region would only achieve 1.9% of the GDP by this time, mainly due to a lack of private R&D expenditure in the regional territory. The Flemish Region would basically reach the objective in 2020 and the Walloon Region would exceed it thanks to a significant increase in private expenditure. At national level, Belgium would reach the objective in 2020 overall, thanks to compensations, in particular in terms of private expenditure, between the Walloon and Brussels regions

This study presents an analysis of developments in the qualitative flexibility of the Brussels-Capital Region’s labour market since the start of the 1990s. This form of flexibility was studied simultaneously (rather than alternatively) from the standpoints of the incidences of skill mismatches and job competition between workers with different levels of education ((vertical) job competition) or overeducation on the probability of exiting unemployment for all levels of education. The conclusions reveal that despite the preponderance of mismatches for all levels of education, occupational downgrading has a growing and significant impact for all the higher levels of education, especially during business cycle lows. Boosting low-skilled employment selectively during such lows without boosting employment across the board will reduce the effectiveness of policies to combat the unemployment of people with low skills as high-skilled workers tend to spill over into less skilled employment segments.

This study presents an analysis of developments in the qualitative flexibility of the Brussels-Capital Region’s labour market since the start of the 1990s. This form of flexibility was studied simultaneously (rather than alternatively) from the standpoints of the incidences of skill mismatches and job competition between workers with different levels of education ((vertical) job competition) or overeducation on the probability of exiting unemployment for all levels of education. The conclusions reveal that despite the preponderance of mismatches for all levels of education, occupational downgrading has a growing and significant impact for all the higher levels of education, especially during business cycle lows. Boosting low-skilled employment selectively during such lows without boosting employment across the board will reduce the effectiveness of policies to combat the unemployment of people with low skills as high-skilled workers tend to spill over into less skilled employment segments.

This study presents an analysis of developments in the qualitative flexibility of the Brussels-Capital Region’s labour market since the start of the 1990s. This form of flexibility was studied simultaneously (rather than alternatively) from the standpoints of the incidences of skill mismatches and job competition between workers with different levels of education ((vertical) job competition) or overeducation on the probability of exiting unemployment for all levels of education. The conclusions reveal that despite the preponderance of mismatches for all levels of education, occupational downgrading has a growing and significant impact for all the higher levels of education, especially during business cycle lows. Boosting low-skilled employment selectively during such lows without boosting employment across the board will reduce the effectiveness of policies to combat the unemployment of people with low skills as high-skilled workers tend to spill over into less skilled employment segments.