Software Developer Hiring Trends in Leuven, Belgium

This report was last updated on Aug 16, 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, demonstrate a competitive landscape characterized by a tightening supply of available roles amidst fluctuating demand.
In the past 12 weeks, job openings peaked at 31 positions in week 21, followed by a notable increase in job closures, culminating in 22 vacancies closed by week 30, highlighting the necessity for effective recruitment strategies for CTOs and engineering managers.
The predominant demand for specific technologies such as Java, JavaScript, and Python indicates critical skills for hiring managers to focus on, as these languages represent the foundation of successful software development in Leuven's tech ecosystem.
Despite Leuven's emerging role in the software job market, the city holds only 5% of total job openings in Belgium, with Brussels, Antwerp, and Ghent leading in available positions, creating further challenges for local recruitment.
With a median time to hire of 32 days, efficient onboarding processes will be vital for tech leads and hiring managers striving to secure top software engineering talent in Belgium Leuven.

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

In the past 12 weeks, the software engineering job market in Belgium Leuven has demonstrated variable trends, particularly with a significant spike in week 21 when 31 new software developer roles were posted. However, this surge was not sustained, as subsequent weeks saw fluctuations in job openings, peaking again at 26 jobs in week 27. In contrast, job closures rose steadily, starting from none in week 20 to 22 closures in week 30, indicating a notable narrowing of available roles. Compared to other countries in Europe, this dichotomy suggests a tightening software developer job market in Leuven, demanding effective recruitment strategies from CTOs and engineering managers to attract top talent amidst increasing competition.

Who else is hiring for software Engineers in Belgium:

Company name	Country	Industry	Founded	# Job openings
i-mens	Belgium	Civic & Social Organization	null	116
Canonical	United Kingdom	Information Technology & Services	2004	71
TieTalent	Switzerland	Information Technology & Services	2017	52
Vivid Resourcing	United Kingdom	Staffing & Recruiting	2009	40
STIB-MIVB	Belgium	Leisure, Travel & Tourism	1954	38
Belgie Vacature	Netherlands	Human Resources	2011	37
KPMG Belgium	Belgium	Management Consulting	null	34
Keyrock	Belgium	Financial Services	2017	31
Aertssen Group	Belgium	Construction	1958	30
EUROPEAN DYNAMICS	Greece	Information Technology & Services	1993	24

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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 in Belgium, particularly in Leuven, presents a competitive landscape for hiring managers. With a notable ratio of talent pool size to job openings, Belgium indicates a challenging environment for recruitment. In comparison, countries such as Germany and the Netherlands exhibit a similar scenario, while Poland demonstrates a more favorable hiring climate with a larger talent pool relative to job vacancies. This analysis reveals the necessity for effective recruitment strategies for CTOs in Belgium Leuven's tech sector to secure qualified software engineers amidst rising demand.

Seniority distribution of Software Engineer job openings in Leuven

Seniority Distribution of Software Engineering Jobs in Leuven

In Belgium Leuven's software development job market, the distribution of seniority levels reveals significant insights for hiring managers. The Mid-Senior level role comprises 51% of the opportunities available, while Entry level positions account for 26%. Furthermore, Associate roles represent 13% of the job market. These figures underline the importance of tailored recruitment strategies for CTOs and hiring managers aiming to attract top talent in this competitive landscape.

Preferred employment type for Engineering roles in Belgium

The employment type distribution of engineering roles in Belgium reveals a clear preference for Full-time positions, encompassing 90% of the job market with 28,569 listings. Contract roles follow significantly behind, accounting for 9% with 3,106 positions available. Part-time employment represents a minimal 1%, comprising just 497 job opportunities.

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, particularly in Leuven, indicates a varied recruitment landscape. Notably, the majority of candidates, accounting for 1662 placements, are hired within a 30-day window, highlighting the competitive nature of the software job market in Belgium Leuven. Furthermore, hiring extends up to 35 days for an additional 787 candidates, showcasing a strong demand for software talent. Recruitment efforts for CTOs and hiring managers should prioritize swift onboarding processes, as over 80% of hires occur within the first 35 days. This trend emphasizes the importance of timely decision-making in attracting top Software Engineer talent across Belgium's tech sector.

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Most popular cities in Belgium to hire Software Engineers

Top 5 cities in Belgium to hire Software Engineers

In Belgium Leuven, the distribution of Software Engineer job openings reveals significant trends. Brussels leads with 59% of the job market, followed by Antwerp at 17% and Ghent at 10%. It is noteworthy that Leuven itself accounts for 5% of the total job openings in the country, underscoring its emerging role in the software job market.

Most sought after technologies in Leuven for Software

Key technologies for Software Engineers

The software job market in Belgium, particularly in Leuven, is predominantly influenced by several key technologies. Notably, Java, with a frequency of 10,261, tops the list, indicating a strong demand for Java developers. Following closely are JavaScript and Python, with frequencies of 8,026 and 6,571 respectively, underscoring the trend towards web and data-focused applications. Additionally, PHP and React remain popular, with frequencies of 5,625 and 6,433 respectively, highlighting ongoing demand in backend and frontend development roles. These technologies are crucial for hiring managers to consider when evaluating recruitment strategies within Leuven's tech sector, as demonstrated in the accompanying chart.

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