Only 19 percent of war refugees have a job

That’s why so few Ukrainians work

The working rate of Ukrainians in Germany is only increasing at a snail’s pace!

► According to the Federal Employment Agency, only 19 percent of Ukraine refugees between the ages of 18 and 64 are currently employed.

That’s only two percent more than a year ago!

► 101,000 have jobs subject to social insurance contributions, 34,000 do mini-jobs. Most work in services (temporary work, horticulture and facilities management), manufacturing, construction and hospitality.

► 467,000 working adults receive citizen’s benefit, which was granted to Ukrainian war refugees from the beginning. They did not have to apply for asylum, but were allowed to be placed in work immediately by job centers.

That’s why the federal government ignited the job placement turbo in October. Labor Minister Hubertus Heil (51, SPD) relies on close support from the job centers (appointments with the employment agency every six weeks) and more effective job placement.

But the numbers show: Integration into the labor market is progressing very slowly.

The Union and the FDP are therefore calling for Ukrainians to only be granted asylum seeker benefits, i.e. a maximum of 410 instead of 502 euros per month (from January the citizen’s benefit will even be 563 euros).

Their argument: Citizens’ money creates false incentives. Low-income jobs in particular would hardly be worth it. The ever higher rents further increased this effect (housing and heating are covered by the state with citizens’ benefit).

Ukrainian war refugees

Since Putin’s brutal war of aggression against Ukraine, over a million Ukrainians have found protection in Germany. Most of the adult refugees are women. According to the Institute for Labor Market Research, around half of working-age women live in a household with underage children, mostly of preschool or primary school age. Consequence: A lack of child care is an obstacle to taking up work.

Problem: This change could only apply to Ukrainians who are not yet on the citizen’s allowance. But not many come anymore. From January to September, the number of Ukrainian war refugees rose by just 43,500. In addition, experts from the Institute for Labor Market Research point out that labor market integration would then take even longer.

It is also a fact: many Ukrainians have good professional qualifications. But in Germany the hurdles for the recognition of foreign qualifications and language qualifications are very high. That’s why the job turbo stipulates that in future jobs will generally be placed at language level B1 or A2, and no longer at B2.

According to the Federal Employment Agency, 129,000 Ukrainians attended an integration course in October. Of these, 95,000 will be completed in the next six months. The remainder are expected to complete the course by September 2024.

Then at the latest it will become clear whether the “turbo” will fire…