Employment in high-tech sectors
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High-tech sectors account for nearly 9% of total employment
In 2018, 8.8% of the total number of working people in the Flemish Region worked in one of the high-tech sectors. This share has declined over the past decade, although there are signs of a slight upturn since 2016.
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High-tech services on the rise in employment
The high-tech sector may be broken down into 2 main sectors: high-tech services and (medium) high-tech industry. In 2018, representing 3.4% of total job numbers, the share of high-tech services was less than that of the (medium) high-tech industry (5.4%). Over the years, the share of the service component gradually grew, up until 2017. The opposite is true for (medium) high-tech industry. This trend was interrupted in 2018.
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Flemish employment in high-tech sectors on a par with the EU average
In 2018, the Brussels Capital Region was the Belgian Region which had the highest share of high-tech sector jobs (9.2%). In the Flemish Region, this share stood at 8.8%, while in the Walloon Region high-tech jobs represented 7.3% of employment. In the Brussels Capital Region, the share of high-tech services is relatively high (6.5%) compared to the other regions.
The share of high-tech employment in overall employment in the Flemish Region in 2018 virtually corresponded with the average figure for the Member States of the European Union (8.9%). The share is particularly high in some Eastern European Member States. The Czech Republic has the highest share (14.6%). Germany too boasts a relatively high percentage (12.4%). Belgium and the other neighbouring countries remain below the EU average. In Cyprus and Greece, the share is lowest (each less than 4%).
Definitions
High-tech sectors: sectors of industry which conduct a comparatively high level of research and development. The high-tech sectors can be broken down into an industrial and a service component: (medium) high-tech industry and high-tech services.
(Medium) high-tech industry: the chemical industry, the pharmaceutical industry, the manufacture of electronic and IT products and electrical equipment, the manufacture of machines, equipment and tools and of means of transport.
High-tech services: the production of films, TV and radio programmes, telecommunications, the design of and consultancy services in the area of computer software, scientific research.