Persons who live in households with 'very low work intensity' in Luxembourg are among the lowest percentile in the European Union, with only 3.9% of households failing to work less that 20% of their potential work hours in a year.

Luxembourg has the second lowest number of households with low to no employed members in the European Union  (3.9%), slightly behind Slovenia (3.5%). Currently the EU average is 7.9% across all nations.

The study published by the European office of statistics (Eurostat) considers a household of 'very low work intensity' as individuals under the age of 64 living in a household where working-age cohabitants are engaged in job activity equal to, or less, than 20% of the total potential work hours for a twelve-month period. Retired persons, students, and children are not included in the statistics.

According to the European Pillar of Social Rights – 20 key principles essential for a fair and functional labour market – at least 78% of the population aged 20 to 64 should  be employed, and at least 60% of all adults should participate in training each year by 2030.

A high rate of household employment plays a key role in the EU reaching its target of reducing the amount of individuals vulnerable to social exclusion and poverty by 15 million, including five million children.

In contrast, Luxembourg's neighbours France (8.7%), Germany (10%), and  Belgium (11.4%) are among countries with the highest percentile of households with "very low work intensity".

RTL

© Eurostat

Despite a strong performance on the metric of "very low work intensity households", the Agency for Development and Employment (ADEM) has recently announced signs that Luxembourg's labour market is showing signs of strain, with rising unemployment – especially among middle-aged workers and qualified professionals.