With the recently conducted salary survey, Robert Walters examined the logistics & supply chain labour market trends and salary evolutions expected for 2024. Viktorien van Loon, managing consultant at Robert Walters specialising in the recruitment of logistics & supply chain profiles, elaborates on the results of the survey.
Over the past year, demand for talent within logistics & supply chain remained at a stable high level, with notable peaks in the number of advertised vacancies in February and October. This trend is mainly evident in Flanders, where as many as 83% of vacancies are concentrated. Almost a tenth of vacancies are in Brussels, and 8% in Wallonia (source: Jobfeed).
"The top 3 regions for job opportunities within logistics & supply chain are the provinces of West Flanders (24%), Antwerp (23%) and East Flanders (18%) - not coincidentally the 3 provinces where the largest number of industrial organisations in our country are located, "explains Viktorien.
While 60% of vacancies involve the employee starting immediately with a permanent contract, one-third of vacancies within logistics & supply chain involve temporary positions. "The world of logistics and supply chain is dynamic, with peaks in workloads resulting in periodic needs for additional staff," Viktorien explains.
Finding the right short-term talent will continue to be a challenge for organisations in 2024, as these specialists stay with the same employer for only 1.3 years on average.
The most sought-after professionals within logistics & supply chain are logistics employees, buyers and planners. By soft skills, employers place particular emphasis on self-motivation, attention to detail, coordination skills and stress resistance. "As a supply chain professional, you are in constant contact with both internal and external parties," adds Viktorien. "It is therefore important that you are a real team player and excel in communication."
In terms of language skills, Dutch takes precedence, requested in 70% of advertised vacancies within logistics & supply chain. This is of course explained by the fact that Flanders has the largest number of vacancies. Remarkable nevertheless: the second most requested language is not French, but English, in no less than half of the vacancies. Knowledge of French is required in 41% of advertised vacancies while German skills have an edge in around 8% of job offers, reflecting the international nature of the logistics & supply chain domain.
The recently conducted Robert Walters Salary Survey indicates a slight upward trend in salaries within logistics & supply chain. Viktorien: "Especially experienced professionals who can respond quickly to market needs can expect higher salaries. Also notable is the slight increase in salaries for starters, who, thanks to the high number of temporary vacancies, have the opportunity to explore different facets of logistics & supply chain and thus map out their ideal career path."
For more insights into the job market and other salaries within supply chain, you can request free access to Robert Walters' digital salary survey tool.
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