With the highest GDP per capita in the world, Luxembourg is a small country in the center of Europe with a strong industrial tradition and a large presence of skilled workers from all over the world. With just over 660,000 inhabitants, people of more than 170 nationalities live in the country; around 46% of the residents are foreigners.
Today the country has the highest minimum wage in Europe. The values differ between qualified and unskilled specialists. In the first case, the remuneration is €3,009.88 and in the second group it is €2,508.24 just over R$16,000 and R$13,000, respectively. See here how to find a job in the country. The salary is good, but the expenses are also high.
The Brazilian, who failed the first time, persisted and succeeded
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High pay and career advancement opportunities were some of the reasons that led Brazilian Fábio Henrique Rocha, 33, to look for a job in the country. Since 2021 he has been working as an audit manager at the multinational company Ernst & Young in the Luxembourg capital.
He got to know Luxembourg through a friend and has dreamed of life in Europe ever since. In 2019, his first attempt at a selection process in the country failed because a local person was selected.
Later, this friend gave him the opportunity to work in auditing in Luxembourg. He went through the selection process with technical tests and interviews and was ultimately selected by the company.
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The adaptation and way locals approach work has been an important change. While he was used to overwork, overtime and weekends in São Paulo, the change meant his Saturdays and Sundays became sacred.
Fábio Henrique Rocha has been working in Luxembourg as an Audit Manager at EY for 2 years. Photo: Personal Collectioncontinues after advertising
“When I started, I was determined to serve, so I often extended my hours. Until one day my manager came up to me and said. “Fábio, you have to stop for today.” No need to exaggerate. Rest, come home. Tomorrow is a new day, the sun will rise again and you will live on,” says Rocha, comparing the Luxembourg reality with the Brazilian concept of hard work.
For this reason, efficiency is very important in the country. The official path is similar to that in Brazil, the difference lies in the way Luxembourgers see the professional. In the new country, Rocha noticed a collaborative environment, a clear separation between personal and professional life, and greater concentration and efficiency at work.
“In the eight hours that the person is working, they are really focused. They come and go at the right time, they just get up to eat, come back, work, leave and that’s it,” he explains.
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According to him, the high quality of life in Luxembourg is supported not only by good pay, but also by the comprehensive social security system and the diverse employment opportunities in the country.
Major companies such as Arcelor Mittal, Ferrero and GoodYear have their headquarters in the country. According to the Luxembourg Consul in Brazil, Jan Eichbaum, Luxembourg’s economic structure is primarily characterized by the service sector, which in turn is driven by the development of the banking and financial sector.
Lives in Belgium and arrives in Luxembourg in 20 minutes
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While the minimum wage is high, the cost of living in the country follows this trend. This creates a labor market that is characterized by a high presence of crossborder commuters.
In Brazil, it took 26yearold marketing specialist Vitor Ponciano an hour and a half to get to the office. Today he lives in Belgium and works in Luxembourg. It crosses the border of both countries and gets to work in 20 minutes.
Just like Ponciano, thousands of professionals from France, Belgium and Germany travel to their jobs in the Grand Duchy every day.
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According to the country’s Employment Development Agency, almost one in two workers commute daily through the region, which offers free public transportation.
Work experiences in advertising agencies in Brazil meant that Ponciano became a source of psychological pressure in certain everyday work situations.
This trigger is often triggered without him realizing it, as if it were an automatic reaction to certain stimuli that indicate the high demands and tight deadlines he has been subjected to in that environment.
Vitor Ponciano lives in Belgium and works as a marketing manager at an investment startup in Luxembourg. Photo: Personal collection
For example, when the need arises to implement a project in the short term, even if the situation is not as critical as in the past, Ponciano finds himself in a state of urgency and fear.
Your body reacts as if it were facing the same extreme challenges, even if the actual situation doesn’t require such intensity.
“The day goes by and you realize that things are not that urgent. I don’t have to stay up all night or look like a crazy person trying to deliver that,” he explains.
He says there is less pressure and a better worklife balance in Luxembourg.
In Brazil, work is often given excessive priority, while people in Luxembourg value their private life more highly.
According to Vitor, the working environment in Luxembourg is more relaxed and focused, which contrasts with the pressure in Brazil.
Despite the difference in the way Brazilians and Luxembourgers see work, professionals who come to the European country are usually well received and valued for some specific skills, such as adaptability and “knowing how to work”, explains the Luxembourg consul in Brazil. Jan Eichbaum.
“Brazilians have an incredible ability to adapt, improvise and compete socially. “These qualities make Brazilians very welcome,” he says.