For the first time in a quarter of a century, Belgium’s pharmaceutical sector no longer leads the ranking of most attractive industries to work in. That title now goes to the aviation sector, according to the 25th edition of the Randstad Employer Brand Research, one of the country’s largest independent surveys of employer attractiveness, conducted among over 12,000 Belgians.
While the pharmaceutical industry has topped the list in 23 out of 25 editions of the study, it has now been overtaken by aviation—despite both sectors seeing a slight drop in their overall scores. Aviation scored 47.4%, down 0.9 percentage points from last year, while pharma dropped by 2.2 points to 46.3%. It’s the first time since 2009 that another industry claims the top spot, underscoring the strong momentum aviation is experiencing.
According to Randstad, the aviation sector scores particularly well on factors such as work atmosphere, engaging job content, and career development opportunities. These criteria have proven increasingly important to Belgian jobseekers, especially in a market where traditional job expectations are evolving under economic pressure.
“The appeal of the aviation sector as an employer was never seriously impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Since travel restrictions were lifted in 2022, airlines have seen passenger numbers rise month after month. According to IATA, the industry fully recovered by June 2024, with some regions even surpassing pre-pandemic flight levels,”said Wim Van der Linden, spokesperson for Randstad.
“The continued wave of ‘revenge travel’ and the prospect of a dynamic, international work environment make aviation a top choice for job seekers. The fact that aviation is now the most popular sector to work in shows that the magic of travel is stronger than ever.”
Among all companies in the aviation industry, Brussels Airlines stands out as the most attractive employer. The airline ranks 4th overall in Belgium across all sectors and takes the top spot within aviation, reaffirming its position as a people-focused employer.
“Brussels Airlines wants to grow and become the carrier of choice for our guests, offering a premium experience at every touchpoint. To deliver the best product, we need the best team — and that means being the best employer,” said Jan Ooms, Head of Human Resources at Brussels Airlines.
“We’ve made significant investments in our staff over the years and will continue to do so. We actively listen to our employees and work to improve every day. This recognition makes us truly proud.”
The airline has ambitious plans for the future, announcing it will hire 360 new colleagues in 2025—nearly one per day—as part of its broader growth strategy.
