In 2015, just over one in two (53%) Adem job adverts required skills at level B (‘independent’) or C (‘experienced’) in one or two languages, to be chosen from Luxembourgish, French, German and English. Nearly ten years on, 70% of advertisements list that as a requirement.
“Language skills are increasingly sought after by employers,” says Florence Juillien, a skills development expert at the national employment agency.
French the most popular…
“French remains the language most in demand. Currently, over 70% of vacancies require this skill,” says Juillien, drawing on data extracted from the Jobinsights.lu tool, which is open to the general public. “This trend has been stable since 2015. On the other hand, the level requirement has increased over the years.”
To give you an idea, “in 2017, 9% of vacancies required competencies at level A (’elementary’), 38% at level B and 30% a level C, on a compulsory basis. In 2023, only 6% of vacancies required language skills at A-level. On the other hand, 30% and 35% of vacancies respectively required level B and C in French,” she illustrates.
…German much less so
“The trend is stable over the period 2015-2024” for applications in German. While almost 30% of Adem’s vacancies make this a requirement, one in two does not make it a selection criterion.
“The expected level of proficiency has also changed little: 16% of vacancies require German at level B, and 13% at level C,” notes Juillien.
Luxembourgish essential
“Luxembourgish language requirements have also remained very stable over the last ten years. Just over 26% of vacancies have it as a compulsory requirement. In around 13% of vacancies, the language is considered to be an asset, and 60% of these do not mention it in the profile sought. There has also been little change in the expected level of proficiency,” explains the Adem expert. Only 10% of jobs make a C-level command of the language a non-negotiable prerequisite.
“To take up a position in the public or health sectors, however, a command of Lëtzebuergesch remains an essential skill, along with the country’s other two official languages, German and French,” adds Juillien. “In these sectors, by 2024, more than 80% of vacancies will require Luxembourgish, and the level of proficiency expected is even higher in the health and social care sector.”
More and more English...
“The most significant change is undoubtedly in English,” argues the skills development expert. “In 2015, 42% of vacancies required this skill. In 2024, this will be the case for 55% of vacancies. Here again, the language proficiency requirement has increased, particularly since 2021. Currently, 14% of vacancies require level B and 40% require level C.”
…especially in IT and finance
IT is by far the sector with the highest demand for English: 94% of vacancies call for English, and 73% of these require an ‘experienced’ level in the language.
In comparison, French is required in 50% of cases, and “only” 37% of them require an experienced level. On the other hand, “requirements for German and Luxembourgish are fairly marginal in IT jobs. These languages are seen more as an asset.”
“The trends are very similar for the financial sector,” notes Juillien. Nearly one in two job ads (46%) published by Adem require knowledge of two or three languages at B or C level. “English is the most frequently required language, appearing in 94% of the advertisements. 81% of them even require a C level. Other languages, on the other hand, are much less of a requirement in this sector than in most others.”
The most demanding sectors
“Language skills play a crucial role in the health and social care sector. In 2015, 57% of vacancies required a command of three languages, at B or C level, and almost 8% required four. In 2024, the proportion of vacancies requiring three languages is almost the same (55%), but almost 15% of vacancies require a command of four languages.”
In this field, French appears in 95% of vacancies, and almost 60% of them require a C level. This is followed by Luxembourgish, which is required in 84% of cases, and German in 71%.
“On the other hand, the requirements for English are rising significantly, both in terms of the mandatory rate and the desired level of proficiency: in 2015, 16% of vacancies required English as a mandatory requirement (8% at level B and 7% at level C). In 2024, 23% of vacancies will require this language and 14% will require it at level C.”
In the public sector, 68% of vacancies are open only to candidates with a command of three languages at level B or C, and almost 10% to those who speak four languages. Ten years ago, the figures were 50% and 3% respectively.
This year, “French is required in almost all vacancies (97%), whereas it represented 76% of vacancies in 2015. Luxembourgish is compulsory in 88% and German in 81% of vacancies, and in 50% of vacancies a level B is sufficient for these two languages. English language requirements are also on the rise in the public sector: in 2015, 13% of vacancies required English. By 2024, the proportion will have risen to 21%.”
An underlying trend
Are employers expecting more and more in terms of language skills? “On paper, that's the case. In reality, it’s less the case. We’re seeing more and more recruitment based on behaviour and interpersonal skills, rather than on skills that can be learned. And languages are part of that know-how,” says 
For Tir, the need for skills is “a trend that is set to increase.” “On the one hand, people are talking about upskilling as a must-have. On the other, some companies are unable to access funding for specific training. The co-financing rate has fallen from 20% to 15%, and we need to make it easier for them to do so. Another stumbling block is the VAT rate for private tuition, which is set at 17%, compared with 3% for group tuition. But the needs are there. For example, everyone speaks English, but the job market requires a specific professional vocabulary. With the emergence of new professions, particularly those linked to AI, this problem is set to grow,” says Tir, who is also vice-president of the Fédération des centres de formation privés (FCF).
Adem’s tools
When they register with Adem, jobseekers must take online tests designed to confirm their level in one or more of the four languages they have declared they speak. Adem can then offer training modules in each of the four languages, in partnership with the Institut national des langues Luxembourg (INLL). These are provided face-to-face.
The employment agency also makes 4,800 free licences of the Babbel learning platform available to applicants. Since the offer was launched last March, 2,500 jobseekers have benefited from it.
This article was originally published in French.
