Finding a job in the Grand Duchy is apparently not so difficult, especially if you are a national of a European Union country. You have the right to work in Luxembourg under the EU’s freedom of movement provisions. In addition, Luxembourg is a full member of the European Higher Education Area since 1999, which means that any university degree or academic diploma from another EU Member State should be recognised under normal circumstances.
Experience, qualifications, perseverance and… luck needed
But things are not always as they seem. Even if the job market in Luxembourg is more attractive than in other countries, job hunting does take a certain amount of experience, a number of qualifications, a lot of perseverance and… a little luck.
Luxembourg is a multilingual and multicultural country. The workforce is made of nationals, cross border commuters – around 170,000 – and foreign workers. For this reason, language skills are an important asset and you may be required to demonstrate your fluency in one or more of the local languages (Luxembourgish, French or German).
Qualifications and experience are important too. The labour market in Luxembourg is looking for skilled workers with high- and medium-level qualifications in selected occupations, not for just any worker in any job. As stated in a report published in January 2018 by the National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies (Statec)1, the key economic sectors of the country are finance – which remains the driving force behind the Grand Duchy’s economy -, digital economy, research and innovation, healthcare, audiovisual production, environmental technologies, aerospace and logistics.
This trends towards greater specialisation will increase in the next coming years. According to the European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training (Cedefop), the distribution of most job opportunities by occupation between now and 2025 will be 44% for professionals (high-level occupations in science, engineering healthcare, business and teaching) and 19% for clerical support workers, well above the EU averages of 24% and 9% respectively for these occupational groups. They will be followed by 11% for technicians and associate professionals, 7% for service and sales workers and 5% for managers.
From JobBoard to networking
So, if you are multilingual and highly qualified in the sectors of activity mentioned above, your chances are great to get a job quickly in Luxembourg. There are different ways to start looking for a job in Luxembourg. First of all, you can register as a jobseeker with the ADEM, provided that you fall into one of the following categories: residents (unemployed seeking a job, already employed but looking for a new job, self-employed workers, young people who have just completed their studies or training), cross border commuters and EU nationals available for a job in Luxembourg and non-EU nationals who have a work permit. As a jobseeker registered with the ADEM, you can consult the JobBoard, an interactive platform (only in French and German) intended to increase the chances of bringing employers and jobseekers together. You can consult offers from companies online, and employers can view your CV.
There are also a plenty of private Internet sites or job fairs, such as moovijob.com, and professional staffing agencies – you can find the complete list with their website addresses in the online yellow pages - that offer you a wide range of jobs in secondary and tertiary sectors and where you can leave your CV online or send your resume. For all information about State job recruitment, you can visit the Public Service Portal (only in French). The portal provides you with information on vacancies – regularly open to EU nationals -, procedures to follow and conditions for employment with the State, preliminary tests and required language skills. And if you are from the European Union, the European Economic Area (EEA) or Switzerland, you can also look for a job in Luxembourg through EURES, the European Job Mobility Portal, which is maintained by the European Commission. As well as looking for work, you can upload your CV and get advice on working in Luxembourg.
And, last but not least, don’t forget to visit our ING careers website and discover our latest vacancies. One of them could be your dream job!