This work was carried out in the OECD Directorate for Employment, Labour and Social Affairs (ELS). The report was prepared by Leonie Westhoff and Simona Otrisalova under the supervision of Shruti Singh (Senior Economist and Team Leader). Dana Blumin provided statistical support. Natalie Corry prepared the report for publication. Valuable comments were provided by Theodora Xenogiani (Head of Employability Division), Christopher Prinz (Senior Economist) and Sofia Domagk (Junior Research Officer). We also acknowledge the support of Ann Coenen (Federal Public Service for Employment, Labour and Social Dialogue) and Eline Van Onacker and Raf Boey (Department for Work, Economy, Science, Innovation and Social Economy), for facilitating our mission to Belgium and meetings with a wide range of stakeholders. We would like to thank all stakeholders and experts who shared their insights and data with us during our mission and afterwards, as well as those who reviewed the draft report and provided comments, including all participants in a validation workshop in Brussels in February 2026.
This report was prepared with the financial support of the Department for Work, Economy, Science, Innovation and Social Economy, Forem, Brussels Economy and Employment and the Federal Public Service for Employment, Labour and Social Dialogue. The opinions expressed and arguments employed herein do not necessarily reflect the views of these organisations.