There are many foreigners working in Luxembourg City. The labor force in Luxembourg as of 2004 is around 293,700, of which about 30% are cross-border workers from Belgium, France and Germany. The services industry accounts for 83% of total employment in Luxembourg. Many expatriates who work in Luxembourg are usually employed in the banking / financial sector. Many banks and financial institutions operating in Luxembourg are foreign-owned and managed. The financial sector contributes about 22% of Luxembourg's total GDP. Luxembourg is one of the largest financial centers in the world, and ranks second in terms of investment funds after New York. Other industries prevalent in Luxembourg are chemicals, food processing, international logistics, information technology, and tourism.

Non-EU expatriates wishing to find employment in Luxembourg should take note that employers will need to show proof that the job cannot be filled by an EU national. Hence, expatriates who have successfully obtained employment and a valid work permit are usually those with a number of qualifications and a certain amount of work experience.

One employment service that could be a starting point for expatriates who are looking for employment in Luxembourg City is the government employment service, ADEM (Administration de L'emploi). The ADEM office is located at 10, rue Bender, L-1229 Luxembourg, Tel: (+352) 2478 5300; email: info@adem.public.lu. There are job postings for both EU and non-EU nationals. The website also has helpful information, such as latest employment labor market updates (last update was November 2008). There is also a Code of Employment in French (Code du Travail) for employment and working conditions in Luxembourg. The other option is to apply for jobs via private recruitment agencies. Many recruitment agencies in Luxembourg operate on a Europe-wide or international basis. Look for their advertisements in daily and weekly newspapers.

If you are a EU national, one unique type of work available for EU national expatriates is employment in the "international civil service" sector – also known as "eurocrats". Luxembourg is the administrative center for the EU and its various supporting agencies and organizations, such as the European Commission and the European Investment Bank. The EU employs around 2,000 people in Luxembourg. Most EU jobs require you to speak at least two or more languages, and you will greatly increase your chances of finding work if you can understand other languages, such as Polish, Czech, or Russian. Try the EU website at http://europa.eu.int that provides links to agencies and departments that post their job vacancies online.

Luxembourg has a minimum wage system, and annual salary increases are often pegged to the costs of living and controlled by the industry collective agreement. Although Luxembourg is known as a tax haven, it is not the case for income tax, and expatriates from the US and UK will find the income tax rates higher in Luxembourg. The working hours will vary according to your profession, industry, employer and your position in the company. As most expatriates working in Luxembourg are likely to be employed as top executives (direction/directie) or managers (cadres/kaderleden), the legal 40 hours of work and overtime pay do not apply.

All employment contracts are subject to Luxembourg's national labor laws, and references to collective agreements and other local regulations could also be included. The employment contract is likely to be written in French, so ask for a translation if necessary, before signing the contract.