Luxembourg’s unemployment rate has dropped by almost 4% compared to this time last year, according to figures released by the Employment Agency (ADEM) today. 

According to the report, 17,239 available resident jobseekers were registered with ADEM on 28 February 2017, 706 fewer than a year ago. This puts the current national unemployment rate at 6.1%

Low-skilled job seekers, i.e. those who have not gone beyond the 3rd or 11th level at school, particularly benefited from this decline in the unemployment figures, with numbers dropping by 4.5% over the course of the year.

On the other hand, low-skilled workers are more likely to face extended periods without work than skilled workers. 54% of low-skilled job seekers were affected by long-term unemployment, of more than 12 months, than skilled workers, 35% of whom faced the same problem.

At the end of February 2017, 5,185 people were assigned to an employment measure. This figure is down 5.7% from February 2016, when 5,498 people were allocated to an employment measure.

Over the course of February this year, employers reported 3,291 vacant ADEM positions, up 0.4% from February 2016.