Ukrainian refugees find work faster in Germany: what a new study has shown

Ukrainian refugees integrate into the German labor market faster than migrants from previous waves. Find out what the employment rate of Ukrainians in Germany is, why they find work faster, and how many families receive social benefits

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Half of Ukrainian refugees who arrived in Germany in the first six months of Russia's full-scale war against Ukraine were able to find employment within three and a half years of their arrival in Germany. This happened much faster than for migrants from previous waves.

This was reported by DW, citing a joint analysis by the Labor Market Research Institute of the Federal Employment Agency and the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees.

Employment rate of Ukrainians in Germany: key figures

According to the study, Ukrainians reached an employment rate of 50% about two and a half years earlier than other migrants who arrived in Germany earlier.

By comparison, refugees from other countries who arrived in Germany in 2015 took about six years to reach the same employment rate. Thus, the integration of Ukrainians into the German labor market is proceeding at a faster pace than in previous waves of migration.

Why Ukrainian refugees find jobs faster

Researchers cite several key factors that contributed to the faster employment of Ukrainians in Germany:

● high level of education;

● absence of a mandatory asylum procedure;

● the ability to immediately enter the labor market.

These conditions allowed Ukrainians to start their professional activities faster and integrate into the economic life of the country.

At the same time, even with favorable conditions, finding a job abroad is often associated with legal nuances — from the type of residence permit to the correct execution of an employment contract. In such cases, it is worth consulting in advance with specialized lawyers on issues of employment abroad. On the Visit Ukraine platform, Ukrainians can get professional help with legal work, contracts, and protecting their labor rights in EU countries.

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The employment rate among Ukrainians is lower than the average in Germany

Despite the positive trend, the employment rate among Ukrainians still lags behind the national average. In June 2025, the overall employment rate in Germany was around 68%. Experts explain the gap by several factors:

● psychological trauma associated with war and forced migration;

● the difficult social situation of many families;

● the need to combine work with childcare.

A significant proportion of Ukrainian refugees in Germany are women. Due to restrictions on the departure of men of conscription age, many of them are raising children on their own.

According to data from September 2025, only 21% of Ukrainian women with children under the age of three without a partner were employed. This indicates significant difficulties for single mothers in combining childcare with work.

Due to widespread part-time employment, the proportion of Ukrainians receiving state benefits (Bürgergeld) remains high.

In the first half of 2025, 41% of employed Ukrainians lived in households that received additional social benefits. This most often applies to families with children. Thus, even formal employment does not always mean complete financial independence.

We remind you! The European labor market integrates Ukrainian refugees in different ways, and the level of employment varies significantly between countries. Read about where it is easiest for Ukrainians to find work, why most work below their qualifications, and what actually increases their chances of finding employment.

Photo: istockphoto

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