Luxembourg ranks among the three EU countries with the highest employment rate

Luxembourg has become one of the EU leaders in terms of the proportion of households where almost all working-age residents are involved in work. According to new Eurostat data, only 3.9% of households in the country fall under the definition of "with very low labour activity" - this means that adults (up to 64 years old) in these families work no more than 20% of the possible number of working hours during the year. By comparison, the EU average is 7.9 per cent, and in some countries it is three times higher, such as Belgium (11.4 per cent) or Germany (10 per cent).

Only Slovenia is ahead of Luxembourg with an even more impressive result - 3.5% of such households. Meanwhile, the situation in the nearest neighbours - France (8.7%), Germany and Belgium - is much less optimistic: every tenth family there is almost not involved in economic activity.

This indicator plays a key role in the EU strategy to reduce the risk of social exclusion and poverty. The European Pillar of Social Rights aims that by 2030, at least 78 per cent of the population aged 20 to 64 should be employed and at least 60 per cent of adults should be in annual training. A sustainable level of family employment is considered important, especially in the fight against child poverty: the EU plans to lift 15 million people, including 5 million children, out of the labour force.

But the glittering statistics mask a worrying trend. The Employment Development Agency (ADEM) recently announced that pressure is building up on the labour market in Luxembourg. This is especially true for highly skilled middle-aged professionals, among whom unemployment is on the rise. This points to a gap between macroeconomic indicators and structural problems in the labour market - employment is high, but not uniform and not always sustainable.