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For a better minimum wage, some French people are ready to cross the border in the direction of Luxembourg. But there is also a downside: the difficulty of finding accommodation at a reasonable price.
Barbara Brecko, who lives near Metz (Moselle), crosses the border every day to work in Luxembourg. She has been on the same route for 22 years, and is not alone on the road. “There are a lot more people on the motorway, a lot more cross-border workers, since Luxembourg needs a lot more manpower”, she explains. Like her, 110,000 French people commute every day, twice as many as ten years ago. Despite the Covid-19, the job market has kept the same dynamism. At the head of her company, Barbara Brecko has just acquired a fifth office building, and hired a receptionist.
Nicolas Nervo, 23 years old and without a diploma, was seduced by Luxembourg. “From a professional point of view, it is much more attractive. More dating opportunities… Which means a lot of people get up at 5 a.m. to come and work here”, he confides. The minimum wage in the country is the highest in Europe: 2,330 euros net per month. All wages, social benefits and pensions are also indexed to inflation. However, there is a flip side to the coin: the working time is 40 hours per week, not counting the journeys. Housing prices are also very high, and building standards are very strict. “There is, implicitly, a debate in the country, on the limits of growth”estimates Vincent Hein, economist.