Recruiting students in Belgium: key figures and trends

In 2025, 649,055 students held a student job in Belgium, a new record. For employers, the message is clear: you no longer recruit students only in July and August. One in three student workers now works across all four quarters, and just 13% still limit themselves to summer. Recruiting students in Belgium has become a year-round strategy.

The student job is no longer (only) a summer job

Summer is still the peak: the third quarter is when the most students work. But that peak no longer tells the whole story. The summer-only student job has become a minority.

The ONSS figures confirm it. In 2025, 33% of student workers worked across all four quarters. Only 13% stuck to summer. The rest spread their work across the academic year, around classes and exams. The underlying trend is clear. The number of student workers rose 25% in ten years. The 2025 rise looks modest (+1.3% on 2024), but it sits within long, steady growth.

Who are the students working in 2025?

The profile is younger and broader than most employers assume. In 2025, half of the student workers were aged 18 to 21. Most striking of all, 24% were aged 15 to 17. Nearly one in four is still in secondary school.

These students aren't just after pocket money. On average, a student worked 225 hours and held 1.6 jobs over the year, at an average hourly wage of €15.47. The youngest, aged 15 to 17, worked 140 hours on average, at €13.20 an hour.

In practice, part of your candidate pool already brings experience: customer service, communication, teamwork, and managing priorities.

Where do they work? At the summer peak, the third quarter, the three largest sectors are hospitality and food service (103,223 students), retail and wholesale (79,597), and health and social care (51,620). If you hire in these fields, competition is fierce in summer, and much lighter the rest of the year.

Lees ook: Recruiting students during school holidays in Belgium: 2026 calendar and useful tips

What this means for employers in 2026 and beyond

The latest ONSS figures confirm a trend that has been building for several years. Students are working earlier, working more frequently, and remaining active throughout the year. Work has become a normal and important part of student life.

For employers, this evolution creates new opportunities to engage with young talent, strengthen employer branding, and build long-term recruitment pipelines. More students are looking for flexible opportunities throughout the academic year, whether for evenings, weekends, or recurring part-time schedules.

Employers that recruit throughout the year often benefit from:

• Access to a larger pool of candidates
• Less competition than during peak summer recruitment periods
• Faster hiring when new needs arise
• Stronger relationships with student talent

As student jobs become increasingly integrated into student life, employers who adapt their recruitment strategies will be best positioned to attract the next generation of talent.

Looking to recruit student workers, interns, or young graduates in Belgium? Student connects more than 600 000 students and young graduates with employers across Belgium, helping organizations reach young talent throughout the entire year.

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