17k ADEM Jobseekers Found Employment in 2018

On Tuesday 14 May 2019, the Employment Development Agency (ADEM) presented its 2018 activity report; last year was marked by a dynamic job market that grew by 3.8% year-on-year.

Nearly 17,000 people registered with the ADEM found a job in Luxembourg in 2018, which represents an increase of 2.2% compared to 2017. Indeed, the decline in unemployment, which began in 2015, continued in 2018. On average, the decline was 5.7% over one year.

"More than 30,000 jobseekers [registered] at the ADEM in 2018, which represents an increase of 3.7% compared to the previous year", explained Isabelle Schlesser, director of the ADEM. This increase in the number of registrations was due, on the one hand, to preparations for the new legislation on social inclusion income (Revis). On the other hand, the increase can be attributed to discussions concerning the reform of the European unemployment compensation system for cross-border workers.Such an increase seems to persist over time, for instance in March 2019, there was an increase of 109% compared to March 2018.

In the course of 2018, the ADEM also simplified the registration procedure for jobseekers. People wishing to register and thus benefit from the services of the ADEM no longer have to go to one of the seven regional agencies in person. Instead, they can call the ADEM Contact Centre or fill in an online form to request a registration meeting. The Contact Centre then arranges for them to arrange an appointment with a consultant. 

Likewise, in 2018, the ADEM "continued to strengthen its service offer for jobseekers by focusing its priorities in particular on the categories of people with more difficulty finding a job," according to Gaby Wagner, Deputy Director ADEM. These include long-term unemployed persons whose registration with the ADEM exceeds 12 months. Thanks to the "integration jobs", more than 170 long-term unemployed have been hired by a public institution, a municipality, a union of municipalities, a non-profit association, a foundation or a societal impact society.

The ADEM also continued to develop relations with employers. The "Partnership for Employment", initiated in 2015 with the Union of Luxembourg Enterprises (UEL), was renewed in 2018 for a period of three years. Work focused last year primarily on the identification of occupations offering excellent opportunities for jobseekers. In this context and with a view to reducing the imbalance between job vacancies and the profiles of job seekers, ADEM has expanded its training offer and has thus allowed 4,300 jobseekers to benefit from one of the many training actions proposed and covering various sectors such as construction, administrative services or IT.

In addition, the ADEM was closely associated with the Luxembourg Digital Skills Bridge pilot programme, run by the Ministry of Laboru, Employment and the Social and Solidarity Economy, last year. The aim was to anticipate the impact of technological developments on employment by offering tailor-made training and personalised individual support to employees whose jobs are being transformed or threatened. More than 300 employees from ten companies have already benefitted from the actions implemented.

Finally, a survey conducted in early 2018 showed that the level of satisfaction among employers for the services of the ADEM increased: 89% stated a desire to call on the services of the ADEM (compared to 84% in 2016). 97% of employers were also of the opinion that their adviser listened to them, while 94% were satisfied with the quality of information received.