Almost two thirds of Ukrainians who have fled to Germany receive citizen’s benefit. Are many of these people actually not trying to get a job? A new study provides answers.
Finance Minister Christian Lindner has presented a new plan for how the state should deal with refugee Ukrainians. Instead of receiving citizens’ benefit, they should only receive asylum seeker benefits, said the FDP leader in an interview with “Wirtschaftswoche”. Lindner hopes that billions could be saved this way. The number of Ukrainians who receive citizen’s benefit remains very high.
Since Russia’s invasion in February 2022, around 1.2 million people from Ukraine have found protection in Germany. Because of an EU-wide directive, they automatically receive a residence status, which means they can also receive citizen’s benefit in Germany. Almost 65 percent of Ukrainians do this too – single people currently receive 563 euros per month. Asylum seekers currently only receive 460 euros per month – and, unlike those receiving citizen’s benefit, no advice from the job center.
The Federal Institute for Population Research (BIB) in Wiesbaden has taken a closer look at Ukrainians on the German labor market. In a new study, researchers find that the employment rate has continued to rise. According to new BIB data, Ukrainians’ labor force participation doubled in two years. In the summer of 2022, only 16 percent of refugees worked, this spring it was 30 percent.
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But most Ukrainians are still without a job – why?
More than 30 percent of Ukrainian refugees are currently looking for work. But according to the study, there are problems.
There is still a shortage of skilled workers in Germany - particularly in nursing and health professions as well as the skilled trades. And half of all refugees from Ukraine have experience in these shortage occupations. But this potential is hardly used, especially in the medical field, said BIB director Katharina Spieß. High language requirements and complicated recognition procedures for foreign professional qualifications would make entry difficult.
Other shortage sectors are already benefiting significantly more from the influx. Many qualified Ukrainians already work in social professions, in the food and hospitality industries, as well as in IT and scientific service professions. In these jobs, language is less important, the study authors explained.
And another 30 percent of Ukrainian refugees are currently not looking for work at all. The Federal Institute for Population Research has asked why this is the case. Multiple entries were possible.
- 92 percent are still attending a language course or reported insufficient knowledge of German.
- 37 percent look after children or care for relatives.
- 34 percent expect to return to Ukraine soon.
- 32 percent mention health reasons.
- 16 percent have had an unsuccessful job search.
The German language continues to be the biggest hurdle. There is a “great need for further training, especially in the area of language skills,” estimates BIB director Spieß. And this despite the fact that the respondents’ knowledge of German has improved significantly.
In the summer of 2022, 50 percent said they had no knowledge at all. In spring 2024, this share fell to 10 percent. Two years after their arrival, 64 percent of those surveyed stated that they had moderate to good knowledge of German.
According to the study, mothers with small children in particular have great difficulty getting into work. The employment rate for this group is currently 22 percent, and for mothers of school-age children it is 32 percent. However, the situation is different for men. The employment rate of fathers with underage children was 41 percent at the time of the study.
From the researchers’ point of view, Ukrainians are integrating into the German labor market better than other groups of refugees. This is primarily due to their above-average level of education and qualifications, said Spieß. Half of the Ukrainian refugees have an academic background. Integration is also easier due to easier access to the job and housing market as well as rapid progress in learning the German language.
The difficulties with integration are mainly due to the lack of childcare. This would also affect other refugees and Germans. In addition, professional recognition is difficult. Half of Ukrainians would not find a job that suits their skills – the so-called dequalification, explained Spieß.
The composition of all refugees from Ukraine is also a fundamental problem. 85 percent are women, many without a partner and with children. In addition, many old people came who would find language acquisition and integration into the labor market much more difficult.