Employment in the logistics industry
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More than 121,000 people employed in the logistics industry
In 2018, more than 121,000 people worked in the logistics industry in the Flemish Region. The companies that operate in the transport of goods account for 4.3% of the total number of employed in the Flemish Region.
The number of people in the logistics industry rose slightly between 2014 and 2018. The number of people employed in the transportation of goods by road, in cold storage and in other transport support activities increased. However, there was a decrease in the number of those employed in the transportation of goods by sea and inland waterways and in cargo handling at seaports. -
Nearly 1 in 2 employed in the transport support sector
Employment in the transport support activities account for 49% of the people employed in the logistics industry. This share includes a large portion of the work related to loading, unloading and storage in Flanders’ ports.
36% of those employed in the logistics industry are active in the ‘transport of goods by land’. These include the truck drivers and railway staff involved in the transport of goods.Postal services represent 17% of employment in the logistics industry. The Flemish logistics industry has two more, much smaller sub-sectors, i.e. the sector of transport of goods by sea and inland waterway (seafarers and bargees) and by air (cargo aviation).
Sources
The National Bank of Belgium (Nationale Bank van België NBB): Working Paper 125 – Economic importance of Belgian transport logistics
National Social Security Office ( Rijksdienst voor Sociale Zekerheid RSZ): Break-down of the number of jobs according to place of employment.
Institute of National Accounts (Instituut voor de Nationale Rekeningen INR): Regional accounts
Definitions
Logistics industry: collection of businesses which are involved in the transport of goods