Isabelle Schlesser, director of the national employment agency (ADEM), attributed the increase to the new legislation concerning the social inclusion income (Revis). Whilst the legislation did not enter into effect until 1 January 2019, many prepared for the impending social income change by signing up in the final quarter of 2018.
A further contribution to the increase was the European-wide reform concerning cross-border workers, which means that the country in which a cross-border worker was employed will be charged with said individual's unemployment benefits. In March, the number of cross-border workers registering with ADEM rose by 109% compared to the previous year.
In 2018, 17,000 individuals registered with the agency found employment in Luxembourg. This number rose by 2.2% compared to the previous year. Unemployment also continued to fall in 2018, following the trend which began in 2015. On average, unemployment has fallen by 5.7% per year since 2015.
2018 was also marked by the agency simplifying its procedures allowing job seekers to register. Those hoping to register no longer need to physically visit one of ADEM's seven regional offices and can instead call the agency's contact centre.
