Luxembourg Unemployment Climbs to 6.5% as Resident Jobseekers Increase

On Monday 21 September 2026, Luxembourg’s employment agency, ADEM, reported that 20,136 resident jobseekers were registered as available for work at the end of August 2026, while the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate, calculated by STATEC, stood at 6.5%, despite an increase in reported job vacancies.

The number of resident jobseekers stood at 20,136 as of 31 August 2026, an increase of 2,071 people (+11.5%) compared with the end of August 2025. The increase remained particularly pronounced among the most highly qualified jobseekers (+19.0%), who represented one third of those concerned. By age group, the largest increase was among those aged 30 to 44 (+13.9% year-on-year), closely followed by those aged 16 to 29 (+13.5%). The increase among those aged 45 to 64 stood at 8.4% over twelve months.

Regarding the occupations sought, increases continued in secretarial and assistance occupations, IT, accounting and management, and organisation and studies. The same was true of cleaning and industrial cleaning, banking and legal occupations. Culinary production and assistance with daily living also recorded notable increases.

ADEM recorded 2,548 new registrations of resident jobseekers in August, an increase of 3.5% compared with August 2025.

The number of resident jobseekers receiving full unemployment benefits stood at 9,976 at the end of the month. A further 1,597 jobseekers undergoing external professional redeployment received a waiting allowance or professional waiting allowance. A total of 4,222 residents benefited from an employment support measure, representing an increase of 4.3% compared with August 2025.

For non-residents, 870 people registered with ADEM in August 2026, an increase of 28.7% year-on-year. The number of available non-resident jobseekers stood at 4,262, an increase of 30.5% year-on-year. Among them, 2,497 held external professional redeployment status and were therefore eligible for financial assistance from ADEM under the same conditions as residents. The year-on-year increase for this group slowed somewhat, to 8.5%.

The second category consists of non-residents who register voluntarily with ADEM and are not eligible for financial assistance. This group accounted for 1,765 people at the end of August 2026, an increase of 82.9% compared with the previous year.

A total of 1,052 non-resident jobseekers with external professional redeployment status received full unemployment benefits in August, while 1,903 received a waiting allowance or professional waiting allowance.

In August 2026, employers reported 2,768 vacant positions to ADEM, an increase of 5.0% year-on-year. The number of available job offers at the end of the month stood at 6,715, an increase of 2.7% year-on-year. The largest increases since August 2025 were recorded in social, socio-educational and socio-cultural work, paramedical care, food retail and food trades, assistance with daily living, construction and structural work, information and telecommunications systems, and organisation and studies.