Only 27 percent of refugees from Ukraine in Germany had a job at the beginning of the year. But Germany is pursuing a longer-term strategy.
When it comes to integrating Ukrainian refugees into the labor market, Germany is in the middle of the pack compared to other European countries. This is the result of a study by the Institute for Employment Research (IAB) in Nuremberg. Germany achieved an integration rate of 27 percent at the beginning of 2024. Across Europe, Lithuania leads with 57 percent, followed by Denmark (53 percent) and Poland (48 percent). Countries such as Finland, Norway, Romania and Spain have the lowest rates at less than 20 percent.
“Countries with a high demand for low-skilled workers have higher employment rates,” says IAB department head Yuliya Kosyakova, who herself comes from Ukraine. These jobs require fewer language and other prerequisites and can be filled more quickly.
High unemployment makes integration difficult
In countries with rising unemployment, competition for jobs is greater, which makes integration more difficult. Public transfer payments, such as the citizen’s allowance in Germany, have little influence. The analysis showed only a small and statistically insignificant connection.
More important are factors such as social networks: countries with a higher proportion of Ukrainian nationals, even before the war, have higher employment rates. “Extensive English skills among the population also have a positive influence on the rates, as they make integration easier,” says IAB researcher Kseniia Gatskova.
Good childcare helps
Countries with better childcare, such as Denmark and the Netherlands, also have higher employment rates. Comprehensive access to health care also increases rates.
Long-term strategy
Germany follows the principle of “language first” – a more long-term approach to integration. This lowers employment rates in the short term. “Experiences in Germany with refugees between 2013 and 2019 show that investments in education increase the likelihood of employment and the sustainability of integration in the medium and long term,” says IAB researcher Theresa Koch.
According to the German government, since the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, more than a million people have fled the country to Germany – often women with their children. According to the German government, 135,000 of them were employed in Germany in April. In June, 112,000 were still taking an integration course aimed primarily at learning the German language.
Source: Stern
