Luxembourg’s business sectorsGood career opportunities in the hotel and restaurant trade
Skilled employees urgently wanted!
The hospitality sector has numerous positions that need to be filled by qualified and skilled employees urgently.
There are nearly 3,000 active businesses in the various sectors of the hotel industry, catering, and restaurants in Luxembourg. They play a significant, vital role in the Luxembourg economy. “Although we do not have exact figures, the entire sector generates between 6.5 and 7 percent of the gross national product,” emphasises François Koepp, the Secretary General of Horesca, “of the Fédération Nationale des Hôiersiers, the Restaurateurs et Cafetiers du Grand-Duché de Luxembourg.” The employment figures are just as impressive. “20,000 people work in different sectors. And when suppliers like the wholesalers are added, it adds up to 33,000 employees!”
Huge job offer
The industry urgently needs new, trained staff. In the hotel industry, for example, more workers are needed than found. Skilled receptionists are urgently needed. These people must be multilingual, know the country and the culture well, and of course be able to handle customers appropriately.
In the restaurant and catering sector the demand is also very high, but the offer is much bigger. “There is no denying that Luxembourg lacks and urgently needs professionally trained cooks,” Koepp emphasises. This also applies to waiters. “There is a huge gap here. There are not enough people in the Luxembourg market,” the Horesca general secretary says with regret.
There are no problems finding employees in the area of cleaning, even in the hotel industry. According to Koepp, these areas have enough workers.
Good salaries for qualifications
Labour market statistics show that the salaries paid in the HoReCa sectors are far below the average. François Koepp has the following problem with these statistics. “It is always claimed that our professions are badly paid. This is not true. The problem lies with the large proportion of unskilled workers.
“If the qualified and non-qualified salaries are combined, a lower average salary is obtained, because both groups account for half of the salaries. But if the number of qualified people working in the HoReCa sector were higher than in the other sectors, the average salary would be much higher.”