Yakajobs, the new site for those who want to work after retirement

According to the founder of Yakajobs, work after retirement is likely to develop in the future, in the wake of the increase in the employment rate of those aged 55 and over: in Belgium, this rate has increased from 26.3 % in 2000 to 56.6% in 2022. “If the employment of 55-65 year olds increases so sharply, it is logical that the employment rate of those aged 65 and over also increases. And this is what we see in the recent figures, notes Boubaker Almi: almost 6% of Belgians aged 65 to 69 were employed at the end of 2022, compared to 4.2% in 2020.”

Early retirement at age 60: a key issue in federal negotiations

Legislation favorable to post-retirement work

Working after retirement has also become increasingly easier over time, points out Boubaker Almi, particularly since the government of Charles Michel has provided that Belgians can work unlimitedly while receiving their retirement pension. “This unique flexibility allows retirees to choose the type of employment that best suits their needs and aspirations, without fear of losing their social benefits; what we can call the ‘carrot effect'”estimates the CEO of Yakajobs.

And, according to the latter, the motivational elements for continuing to work after retirement can be varied: “There are obviously those who want to supplement their pension and benefit from additional financial means allowing them to better enjoy life, by traveling from time to time, in particular. But, for others, remaining active after retirement represents an opportunity to maintain a social connection, to remain intellectually stimulated and to continue to feel useful in society And this work can be really flexible, with some only wanting to work a few hours per week, others several days…”

Health, accounting, industry

But which sectors are most in demand for “hiring” retirees? “We are seeing strong demand from the health sectors, for nurses in particular but also for accountants as well as people with experience of industrial machines who are not always familiar with new arrivals in companies”replies Boubaker Almi.

Yakajobs provides different rates for the company that wants to recruit via the platform: either for the simple submission of a job offer, or because it wishes to obtain a list of candidates corresponding to the desired profile, employee or freelance version. “These are packages to be paid according to the scenarios, no commissions, specifies Boubaker Almi. And our work mainly consists of connecting companies and candidates. We do not carry out the job interviews that will follow and we do not manage salary issues and social laws with a view to hiring.”

Let’s remove the retirement age

Ultimately, the site aims to be active in several European countries, as well as in Switzerland and England. “But to develop it, we will be looking for partners and financial support from 2025,” specifies the founder of the platform.