Job numbers in the specialist activities and support services areas jumped 5.6%, while those in construction rose 4.3% during the first quarter of 2019.

The two sectors make up over a quarter of the entire workforce and, during the first quarter, accounted for 36% of net job creation, a report published by Statec on Tuesday found.

Its analysis suggested that the increase in specialist services came from a demand for accounting profiles, while support roles were pushed up by the need for cleaners. The recruitment boost in construction, meanwhile, was connected to electrical fittings.

Luxembourg recorded an overall 1% increase in its workforce during the first quarter, and a 3.8% increase over 12 months.

Recruiters drew largely on the skills found over the border, particularly in France, where the number of cross-border workers rose a colossal 6.3% from T1 of 2018 to T1 of 2019. There was also a 7.6% annual increase in non-Europeans working and living in Luxembourg, compared to a 1.9% increase in EU nationals.