Data extracted from Luxembourg's unemployment agency ADEM have shown that 31% of new jobs in the Grand Duchy between June 2020 and June 2021, and 16% of all jobs at the end of June 2021, were near minimum wage jobs.

The data revealed that 41,180 (31.5%) of a total of around 130,600 new jobs (salaried recruitment) in Luxembourg (excluding temporary salaried labour) during this period were near social minimum wage (salaire social minimum) jobs. The near social minimum wage is equivalent to hourly wages less than or equal to 102% of the hourly SSM for unskilled workers and between 100% and 102% of the hourly SSM for skilled workers. In absolute terms, the near social minimum wage equalled €12.98 (rounded to the nearest cent) or less per hour for unskilled workers and €15.58 or less per hour for skilled workers. In comparison, 33.5% of new jobs between January 2015 and January 2016 were near social minimum wage jobs.

Across the different employment sectors, the highest share of new near social minimum wage jobs between June 2020 and June 2021 was recorded in accommodation and catering (59.7%) and agriculture, forestry and fishing (59.2%), whilst the lowest share was recorded in extra-territorial activities (4.2%) and the production and distribution of electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning (7.4%).

Of the 41,180 jobs near social minimum wage jobs, the trade, repair of automobiles and motorcycles sector (19.1%), construction industry (13.8%) and accommodation and catering sectors (11.9%) accounted for 18,410 (44.8%) of the near social minimum wage, low paying jobs.

In terms of the total 455,890 salaried jobs in the Grand Duchy at the end of June 2021, 73,800 (16.2%) jobs were near social minimum wage jobs.

The construction sector recruited the most people (15,920), followed by trade, repair of automobiles and motorcycles (15,470) and the professional, scientific and technical activities (14,090) - the equivalent of over a third of all jobs (34.8%).

Cross-border workers secured 54,340 (41.6%) salaried jobs of the total 130,600 new jobs between June 2020 and June 2021, followed by foreign nationals living in Luxembourg with 48,970 jobs (37.5%) and resident Luxembourgers with 27,290 jobs (20.9%). Of the total 455,880 salaried jobs at the end of June 2021, 44.7% were held by cross-border workers, 28.3% by foreign nationals and 27.1% by resident Luxembourgers.

Graph caption: Employment sectors according to European standard NACE (Statistical Classification of Economic Activities in the European Community):

  • A: Agriculture, forestry and fishing
  • B: Extractive industries
  • C: Manufacturing industry
  • D: Production and distribution of electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning
  • E: Production and distribution of water, sanitation, waste management and depollution
  • F: Construction
  • G: Trade, repair of automobiles and motorcycles
  • H: Transport and storage
  • I: Accommodation and catering
  • J: Information and communication
  • K: Financial and insurance activities
  • L: Real estate activities
  • M: Professional, scientific and technical activities
  • N: Administrative and support service activities
  • O: Public administration
  • P: Education (private)
  • Q: Human health and social work
  • A: Arts, entertainment and recreational activities
  • S: Other service activities
  • T: Activities of households as employers or producers
  • U: Extra-territorial activities
  • Z: Not determined