Newly released data from Statbel indicates that more than a quarter of employed individuals in Belgium spend the majority of their workday on computers or smartphones. According to the

survey, 25.8% of respondents engage in tasks that require digital skills for either all or most of their working hours. These tasks involve the use of computers, tablets, or smartphones, excluding phone calls.

Interestingly, the study reveals a slightly higher percentage of women (27.3%) than men (24.4%) spend most of their workday behind screens. Additionally, individuals with higher levels of education (39.3%) are more likely to be engaged with digital tasks compared to those with medium or low levels of education.

The data was obtained from the European Union's 2022 Labour Force Survey, which surveyed 17,800 individuals between the ages of 15 and 74 across member states. Notably, this was the first time the survey included questions related to job-specific skills.

When compared to the European Union as a whole, Belgium's figure falls slightly below the average. Nearly 30% of employed individuals within the EU report utilizing digital devices for the majority or entirety of their workday. Among EU countries, Luxembourg holds the highest rate at 46.6%, followed by the Netherlands and Sweden, where the percentage exceeds 40%.

Conversely, Hungary, Slovakia, Greece, Bulgaria, and Romania have the lowest rates, with less than 20% of employed individuals using digital devices for most or all of their working time. Photo by Phil Whitehouse, Wikimedia commons.