The current inflation crisis implies higher input costs, higher wage costs, pressure on margins, increasing interest rates and recession for Belgian companies. Even more important is the fact that this crisis is creating a double handicap of energy and wage costs for our economy. This will lead to less investment spending, less hiring and less economic activity. Especially the wage cost issue is looking like a painful déjà-vu. As in the past, the way out of this situation runs through an adjustment of the wage indexation mechanism. However, the economic pain probably needs to increase before the required adjustment becomes politically feasible.
