Moroccans, Turks most-hardly hit by unemployment in Belgium, study

Moroccans and Turks living in Belgium are the most-hardly hit by unemployment, says a study conducted by the Antwerp university and the Belgian national institute of statistics.

The survey found that 61% of Belgians aged between 15 and 64 have a job, the rate falls to 56% for non-Belgian European nationals, 51% for foreigners who obtained the Belgian nationality, and 26% among Moroccans and Turks.

The study also revealed that non-European nationals are finding more difficulties in finding a job as 60% of them have spent over a year looking for an occupation, compared to 48% for Belgians.

The study ascribes this situation to the low qualification of these communities, as only 10% of them have a university diploma (the rate is 34% for Belgians) and only 39% have only a primary education level, while the rate stands at 10% for nationals.

Indeed, 66% of Moroccans and Turks settled in the European country have manual jobs.

The job market inequalities also affect non-Belgian European nationals as only 5% of Belgian nationals who have graduated from university are on the dole while unemployment affects 30% of non-Europeans with the same education level.