Working in the public sector
The public sector comprises all public services, public institutions and public education. A lot of official bodies and authorities are based in the Brussels-Capital Region, which means there are a whole host of public sector jobs too. All told, around 10 % of the working population are employed in the public sector.
Contract or statute
In the public sector you can be engaged on the basis of a contract or a statute.
- Contractual employees are comparable to private sector employees. Their relationship with their employer is based on an open-ended or fixed-term employment contract.
- Candidates who pass the official selection process (with an examination) can be appointed on the basis of the statute. This means that their relationship with their employer is not based on an employment contract but on the statute imposed by the authorities.
These public officials are covered by a separate social security system.
Follow the guide
Public services regulate almost every aspect of society. For a rundown of the areas of competence of the various authorities see Belgium.be. If you would like to work for a public service, follow the links below.
At communal level
There is a list of all communal services and any vacancies on the individual websites of the communes of the Brussels-Capital Region.
At regional level
- A Brussels public jobs portal
The Talent.brussels portal is your gateway to a host of exciting jobs in the Brussels civil service! - You can also visit the websites of the regional bodies to read more about what they do, what their areas of competence are and browse any vacancies.
At community level
- A list of vacancies is published on the website of the French Community of Belgium (FR).
- To look for work for the Flemish authorities in Brussels (FR/NL), go to Jobpunt Vlaanderen.
At federal level
- Selor (FR/NL) is the selection agency for jobs in federal, regional and community administrations and institutions.
At international level
- If you aspire to a job at one of the European Union institutions, contact the European Personnel Selection Office.
- Job vacancies at NATO, in the Brussels HQ and around the world, are also posted on the organisation’s website.