On Friday 27 March 2026, Luxembourg's employment agency, ADEM, published the 2026 list of occupations in the Grand Duchy for which there are severe shortages.
This list sets out the occupations (and their subcategories) that are in high demand by employers and for which very few candidates are available at the Agency for the Development of Employment.
According to ADEM, there are now twenty occupations on the list, compared with twenty-two last year. Employers seeking skilled labour in these twenty listed occupations can benefit from simplified and accelerated procedures for hiring third-country nationals.
As provided for by legislation, the list is updated in the first quarter of the year, based on objective data from the previous year: the number of vacancies declared to ADEM, the number of jobseekers registered for the same occupation, as well as the number of vacancies for which no matching candidate meeting the required profile could be found.
Compared with the previous year’s list, new occupations have been added, particularly in the construction sector and more specifically in finishing work – roofing installation and restoration (F1610), in industry – industrial quality management and engineering (H1502) and in installation and maintenance – installation and maintenance of industrial and operational equipment (I1304).
Conversely, several occupations have been removed from the list: aircraft mechanics (I1602) and railway traffic controllers (N4401). In the field of business support, accountants (M1203), management controllers (M1204) and business organisation and management consultants (M1402) are no longer included. ADEM emphasised that although these five professions remain under pressure, the imbalance between candidates and vacancies in 2025 is no longer sufficient to meet the criteria of the “severe shortage” category.
In order for the list of occupations in severe shortage to best reflect the reality of the labour market, ADEM stressed that it is essential that employers declare all their vacancies to the Agency for the Development of Employment. There are many advantages to supporting them in recruiting qualified profiles, particularly from third countries. The application for a “foreign workforce” certificate can be submitted by the employer directly when declaring the vacancy to the Agency for the Development of Employment, or subsequently, throughout the validity period of the job offer. If the declared position corresponds to an occupation on the list of occupations in severe shortage, the certificate is issued within five working days following acknowledgement of receipt.
ADEM highlighted that the list of occupations in severe shortage also serves as a steering tool for the agency, making it possible to precisely identify the skills most in demand by employers and to develop targeted training actions for jobseekers. By identifying the areas where employers encounter the greatest difficulties in recruitment, the Agency said it can ensure a better match between market needs and available skills.
The definition of occupations according to the ROME classification is available at https://adem.public.lu/en/employeurs/declarer-poste-vacant/rome.html.
