Business Chief Europe Magazine March 2020

CITY FOCUS | BRUSSELS

“ Today , the city serves as The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation ’ s ( NATO ) headquarters and is the unofficial capital of the European Union ; the latter factor has led to the creation of over 40,000 jobs ”

Brussels houses just a tenth of the population of Belgium but contributes one fifth of the national GDP , with its 550,000 jobs accounting for 17.7 % of Belgium ’ s employment . 2,000 foreign companies have offices in Brussels , including a number of offices of multinationals such as General Electric , IBM , Toyota , Microsoft , Monsanto , Pfizer and Levi Strauss & Co . Office rental costs are lower than that of other European business centres at around € 25 ( US $ 27 ) per square foot , while personal accomodation for central locations is capped at € 1,300 ($ 1,400 ) per month . In recent years , the city has flourished as an emerging finance and technology hub , while building on its quintessential confectionary and brewing industries .

MARCH 2020

Business Chief Europe Magazine March 2020 | Page 76

“ Today , the city serves as The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation ’ s ( NATO ) headquarters and is the unofficial capital of the European Union ; the latter factor has led to the creation of over 40,000 jobs ”