Software Developer Hiring Trends in Leuven, Belgium

This report was last updated on Sep 6, 2025

Bence Gedai

Founder

I analyze live hiring data and tech job trends across Europe to give CTOs and Product Leaders a strategic edge. By tracking tens of thousands of open roles each week, I uncover which skills, roles, and locations are in highest demand — potential competitors, typical time to hire, talent pool sizes, and more to help you prioritize hiring, benchmark and stay competitive in a fast-moving market.

Key learnings from this report

The software engineers job market trends in Belgium, particularly in Leuven, reveal a robust demand characterized by fluctuating job openings, peaking at 26 new roles in week 27.
Currently, there is a competitive hiring environment with job closures affecting the market significantly, indicating the need for strategic recruitment approaches among hiring managers.
With 90% of job roles offered as full-time employment, companies are favoring long-term contracts, which aligns with the growing preference for stability among software developers.
Belgium Leuven currently boasts a median time to hire of 32 days, necessitating swift recruitment strategies to attract senior software developers in this competitive landscape.
The seniority distribution reveals that 51% of available positions are Mid-Senior roles, emphasizing the necessity for companies to target experienced candidates while also creating pathways for entry-level talent.

Number of roles opened and closed for Software Engineers in Leuven in the last 3 months

In Belgium Leuven, the software engineering job market exhibits notable fluctuations in weekly job postings, with a peak of 26 new roles surfacing in week 27, while the recent weeks show a consistent range between 12 and 20 jobs posted. In contrast, the corresponding job closures have impacted the market, particularly in week 25 and 26, where 19 and 20 positions were closed, highlighting an overall competitive environment for software developers. When comparing these trends to other European countries, Belgium Leuven demonstrates a robust demand for software engineers, as hiring rates are notably higher than average in neighboring markets, indicating a positive outlook for recruitment strategies among CTOs in the region's tech sector.

Who else is hiring for software Engineers in Belgium:

Company name	Country	Industry	Founded	# Job openings
i-mens	Belgium	Civic & Social Organization	null	123
Canonical	United Kingdom	Information Technology & Services	2004	95
TieTalent	Switzerland	Information Technology & Services	2017	75
Belgie Vacature	Netherlands	Human Resources	2011	44
Vivid Resourcing	United Kingdom	Staffing & Recruiting	2009	42
STIB-MIVB	Belgium	Leisure, Travel & Tourism	1954	37
KPMG Belgium	Belgium	Management Consulting	null	36
Keyrock	Belgium	Financial Services	2017	35
Aertssen Group	Belgium	Construction	1958	29
Sopra Steria	France	Information Technology & Services	1968	27

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Talent pool vs job openings for Software Engineers in Belgium

How competitive it is to hire Software Engineers in Belgium

The software engineers job market trends in Belgium, particularly in Leuven, reveal a competitive landscape characterized by a notable imbalance between job openings and available talent. With Belgium hosting a robust number of job openings, the talent pool is relatively constrained, resulting in a lower jobs-to-talent ratio. In comparison, countries like Germany, France, and the Netherlands present more favorable hiring environments, as their larger talent pools suggest a slightly easier recruitment process. Consequently, hiring managers in Belgium must adapt their recruitment strategies to meet the challenges posed by these market dynamics, especially when it comes to sourcing senior software developers and programmers.

Seniority distribution of Software Engineer job openings in Leuven

Seniority Distribution of Software Engineering Jobs in Leuven

The seniority distribution of Software Engineering jobs in Belgium Leuven reveals that 51% of positions are at the Mid-Senior level, followed by 23% at the Entry level and 12% categorized as Associate roles. This distribution highlights the demand for experienced professionals while also presenting opportunities for entry-level candidates, making it crucial for hiring managers in Leuven's tech sector to adopt strategic recruitment practices to attract top talent.

Preferred employment type for Engineering roles in Belgium

In the Belgian software engineering job market, a significant majority of positions are offered as full-time employment, comprising 90% of available roles. Contract opportunities follow at 9%, while part-time roles constitute a smaller portion at just 1%. This distribution indicates a strong preference for stable, long-term employment among software developers in Belgium.

Time to Hire Distribution for Software in Belgium

How long does it take to hire Software Engineers

The time to hire for Software Engineer positions in Belgium reflects a varied landscape, with a significant concentration of roles filled within 30 days, totaling 1,898 hires. Notably, the data indicates that 1,236 positions were filled between 25 to 30 days, suggesting that swift recruitment strategies are essential in the competitive job market in Leuven. As hiring managers and CTOs navigate the future demand for Software Engineers in Belgium, focusing on minimizing time to hire will be crucial. Moreover, with a noticeable drop in candidates hired beyond 30 days, aligning recruitment strategies to this timeline could enhance the efficiency of sourcing Software Developer opportunities. The findings highlight the importance of timely decision-making in attracting top talent within Europe's technology landscape.

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Most popular cities in Belgium to hire Software Engineers

Top 5 cities in Belgium to hire Software Engineers

In Belgium, the distribution of Software Engineers job openings reveals that Brussels dominates the market, accounting for 54% of listings. Antwerp follows with 15%, while Ghent contributes 9%. Notably, Leuven represents 5% of the total job openings, highlighting its emerging role in the software job market. This data is visualized in the accompanying chart.

Most sought after technologies in Leuven for Software

Key technologies for Software Engineers

In the rapidly evolving software job market, particularly in Belgium and Leuven, certain technologies have emerged as frontrunners that hiring managers must consider. Java continues to lead with a frequency of 10,875 instances, highlighting its enduring relevance and demand among software engineers. Python follows closely behind, with 10,977 occurrences, reflecting its widespread adoption for various applications, including data science and web development. JavaScript also remains crucial, with 8,244 mentions, underscoring its vital role in front-end development. Additionally, React and .NET are pivotal technologies, cited 6,854 and 5,985 times respectively, reinforcing their significance in building modern applications. For a detailed comparison of these technologies, please refer to the attached chart.

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