Employment linked to Belgian port activities continued to expand in 2018. Although the outlook for 2020 is rather gloomy, some insight into how Belgian ports are trying to stay afloat in turbulent waters.

The COVID-19 pandemic poses challenges to the financial sector and financial stability. But the Belgian financial system, thanks to its capital and liquidity buffers, is solid and can thus play a key role in cushioning the impact of the crisis on households and businesses.

Belgian firms reckon that their turnover is still 17 % below pre-crisis levels, which is only about half the impact declared during the weeks in lockdown. This amounts to a recovery of six percentage points in the space of two weeks and nine percentage points in the space of a month. 

The consumer confidence indicator has recovered for the second month in a row. The lowest point seems to have been reached in April, although consumers remain very pessimistic about the expected trend in unemployment.