On Tuesday 22 September 2026, Luxembourg's Ministry of the Economy reported that the Economic Committee held a meeting to review the national economic and labour market situation, as well as applications for short-time working.

Held under the chairmanship of Luxembourg’s Minister of Labour Marc Spautz, the committee examined 47 applications from companies seeking access to the short-time working scheme for October 2026, five fewer than the previous month. Following its review, the committee issued a favourable opinion on 46 applications, with the final decision on granting the support resting with the Government Council.

Of the approved applications, 30 related to economic conditions, eight were structural and linked to job retention plans, three concerned force majeure due to insufficient water levels on the Rhine and other waterways and five were linked to economic dependency.

The applications potentially concern 1,457 full-time equivalent (FTE) positions, down from 1,508 the previous month. The committee stressed that these figures represent projected numbers and do not necessarily reflect the number of employees who will ultimately make use of the scheme.

The committee also reported on the actual use of short-time working in June 2026. Of the 53 applications which received a favourable opinion in May 2026, 35 companies ultimately used the scheme. Four cases remain under review, with 31 cases settled to date.

Among the 2,053 employees initially expected to benefit from short-time working in June, 953 actually did so, compared with 686 employees the previous month. This represented 184 FTE positions, up from 166 in May.

A total of 31,792 hours of short-time work were recorded in June, compared with 28,664 the previous month. The cost to the Employment Fund amounted to €714,615, up from €593,127 in May.

The committee also issued a favourable opinion concerning adjustment early retirement measures for 23 employees and proposed a contribution rate towards the cost of the scheme.

In addition, it approved three applications for tax exemptions on redundancy and severance payments, concerning nineteen employees.

The next meeting of the Economic Committee is scheduled for Tuesday 27 October 2026 at 09:00.