Migrant workers in Luxembourg are not eligible for equal access to employment as EU nationals, since they face restrictions on the jobs and sectors where they can work. In 2006, non-EU nationals were three times more likely to be unemployed than EU nationals and over six times more likely than Luxembourgian nationals . Yet the state does not try to improve their employment rates or help them learn languages to make them more employable. It does provide equal access to vocational training and study grants, but does not help them get their existing skills and qualifications recognised. Once they find a job, migrant workers are partially secure under the law: they can renew most work permits, but lose them if their contract is terminated, no matter how long they have worked in Luxembourg. Migrant workers have the right to join trade unions but have to wait rather a long time before changing their status or work permit.
