A year ago, José (not his real name), unemployed for 14 years, met with us to discuss his situation. We met him again but on his side, nothing seems to have evolved.
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Despite a few interviews carried out in recent months, nothing has led to a job for this trained accountant. Who believes that the Belgian system does not sufficiently help citizens who benefit from unemployment benefits. “The interviews were done by telephone and each time it was the same answer. Either I don’t completely agree with the description of the offer or when I say that I depend on public transport, that doesn’t work and it blocks the employer.
After 14 years of unemployment, as a single person, José receives 1,409 euros monthly. “It’s not enough. Before, it varied between 1,250 and 1,300 and fortunately I was indexed several times. When I see the price of rent today and the charges, what do you want to do? », he is surprised.
“It scares me”
The MR and the Engagés presented their government agreement at Walloon level on Thursday. If Wallonia does not have the competence to modify the duration of unemployment benefits and reduce it to two years, as the MR and Les Engagés wish, Georges-Louis Bouchez and Maxime Prévot will plead in this direction at the federal level.
José is not leading the way. “Yes, that scares me. Belgium does not help job seekers enough today and does not do what it should do. If we want to limit unemployment benefits, we need a real reform of the labor market otherwise it is useless. You have training courses which are supposedly intended to train for professions in shortage but despite this, you are unsuitable on the job market. Training and education must be as close as possible to employer demand. And for Forem to become a real investment organization.”
“Behind they don’t know how to do anything if employers don’t follow up”
Here again, the government agreement at Walloon level is clear. The role (and budget) of Forem should be reviewed to be oriented towards employment: the job seeker will be seen in the month following registration, with a personalized plan (training, job offers, internship) adapted offered within four months.
José knows the Forem. “Every two or three months, I am asked about my job search by summoning me. They see that I am in order and that I follow the procedure but behind them they do not know how to do anything if the employers do not follow up. We are told: you cannot refuse a suitable job. But I have never been offered such job offers… And then I am 57 years old. The longer you remain unemployed, the less likely the employer will hire you. I always have motivation during interviews. It’s the employer who doesn’t give me any follow-up! “.
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