On 27 March 2026, the Luxembourg employment agency (ADEM) announced the publication of the 2026 list of occupations in severe shortage in Luxembourg. The list now includes 20 occupations, with some construction and industrial roles added and several roles removed. Roles on the list benefit from a faster ADE certificate process for employers hiring third-country nationals.
The shortage occupations list is established annually in accordance with Article L.622-4 of the Luxembourg Labour Code, and has been published in the Official Journal (Journal Officiel du Grand-Duché de Luxembourg). This list identifies occupation sub-categories for which there is a significant imbalance between labour demand and the number of jobseekers registered with ADEM.
The classification is based on objective labour market criteria, including:
For the 2025 reference year, occupations are classified as being in severe shortage where specific thresholds were met, including at least 84 vacancies per year and either a low ratio of vacancies to jobseekers combined with a high proportion of unfilled positions.
The 2026 list includes a total of 20 occupations, compared with 22 in 2025, with the following new occupations added:
At the same time, several occupations have been removed from the list, including:
While these roles may still face recruitment pressure, they no longer meet the criteria required to be classified as occupations in severe shortage. Other finance, legal and banking-related occupations remain on the list including, financial analysis, audit, legal advisory and certain banking functions, which reflects continued demand in these areas.
ADEM certificates are issued more quickly for shortage occupations. Employers may apply for a foreign workforce certificate (main-d’œuvre étrangère) when declaring a vacancy to ADEM or at any time during the validity period of the job offer. For positions corresponding to occupations on the shortage list, the certificate is generally issued within five working days following acknowledgment of receipt. For positions not included on the list, ADEM has seven working days to assess whether suitable candidates are available on the Luxembourg labour market. If none are identified, the certificate is issued within an additional five working days. If suitable candidates are available, ADEM may take up to 15 additional working days to refer them to the employer.
Employers planning to hire third-country nationals should review the updated list to determine whether the roles fall within occupations in severe shortage, as this may allow for accelerated labour market testing.
Employers should also ensure that all vacancies are declared to ADEM, as this is essential both for compliance purposes and to benefit from streamlined processes. The list is also used to support workforce planning and the development of targeted training programmes for jobseekers.
Our Luxembourg immigration team actively monitors legislative updates to keep clients informed. We provide:
For a deeper discussion on the above, please reach out to your Vialto Partners point of contact, or alternatively:
Maud Aupetit
Director
Rebecca Serval
Senior Associate
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