Self-employment in Luxembourg, Reality Check

Union des indépendants seeks to break misconceptions around freelance work

From tax burdens to job insecurity, freelancers and self-employed workers in Luxembourg face growing pressures. The Union des Indépendants founder Clara Moraru tells Melissa Dalton on Today Radio how her group is stepping in to help.

Melissa Dalton from Today Radio recently sat down with Clara Moraru, founder of the Union des Indépendants, a non-profit organisation advocating for the rights and interests of independent workers across Luxembourg. Launched in 2024, the union already brings together around 1,700 members from a wide range of sectors, including the arts, translation, consulting, health and wellness, and education, among others.

It is estimated that Luxembourg is home to between 29,000 and 39,000 independent workers, freelancers, and self-employed individuals. Many of them face significant challenges, including higher taxes, financial instability, elevated stress levels, limited support from the National Employment Agency (ADEM), and no access to sick leave or paid holidays.

Moraru highlights how widespread the misconceptions around self-employment remain. She often hears comments such as "Well, you chose this path," or "it's so nice to be your own boss," as if becoming an independent worker were always a free and empowered choice. In reality, many independents are trailing spouses whose skills are not reflected in the local job market. In Luxembourg’s traditional employment landscape, language barriers and limited opportunities make it difficult for many to enter standard roles. Meanwhile, the rise of the gig economy (driven by AI and outsourcing) has forced many former employees into freelancing just to make ends meet

Misunderstandings also persist at the institutional level, something Moraru experienced firsthand during the pandemic, when many independents were overlooked and received little to no financial support. Five years on, this sense of precarity still lingers. Studies show that up to 43% of freelancers report chronic stress, driven not only by financial uncertainty, but also by job insecurity. Moraru notes that some independents work full-time for companies, yet can be let go without notice, and without access to unemployment benefits.

The Union des Indépendants is the first organisation of its kind in Luxembourg, aiming to build a sense of community in what can often be a lonely and precarious profession. Its mission is to support independent workers when problems arise and to be a collective voice and source of strength for freelancers across the country.