European Commissioner: Ukrainian refugees have successfully integrated into the EU labor market

After the start of a full-scale war in Ukraine, millions of citizens were forced to seek refuge in the countries of the European Union. In addition to providing temporary protection, EU countries have undertaken the important task of integrating Ukrainians into their labor markets. As noted by the European Commissioner for Labor and Social Policy, Nicholas Schmidt, this process at the global level turned out to be quite successful. According to the latest data, out of 4.3 million Ukrainian citizens who are registered under the directive on temporary protection in the EU, 1.6 million are already working.

Employment statistics of Ukrainians in EU countries

Helping Ukrainian refugees to integrate into the labor market has become one of the key tasks for European states. By in words Nikolas Shmit, many Ukrainians successfully took advantage of the opportunity to quickly find a job after arriving in the EU countries. The European Commissioner emphasized that this process has proven to be quite effective on a global scale: more than a million Ukrainians are already working in various sectors of the EU economy, which is a significant indicator of success.

Particularly high rates of employment among Ukrainians are observed in such countries as Lithuania, Denmark and Poland:

• Lithuania: 57% of Ukrainians under temporary protection are already working.
• Denmark: 53% of Ukrainian refugees are employed.
• Poland: 48% of Ukrainian citizens were able to find a job.

Such high indicators are not accidental, but are related to a number of factors that helped Ukrainians to integrate into the labor markets of these countries.

The reasons for the success of integration in individual countries

Nicholas Schmidt explained that the high level of employment of Ukrainians in countries such as Lithuania and Denmark is due to several important factors:

1. Recognition of diplomas and professional qualifications. In Lithuania, for example, the government quickly recognized the diplomas of doctors and medical workers, which allowed them to immediately join the work in the field of health care. This became a key step in securing jobs for those Ukrainians who already had the appropriate qualifications and contributed to their rapid integration into the labor market. Unfortunately, not all EU countries adapted their laws so quickly to the recognition of foreign diplomas, which partly explains the difference in employment rates in different states.
2. Efficiency of state employment services. Countries where state employment services actively helped Ukrainians to find work demonstrated better results in terms of refugee integration. These services played a key role in providing information about vacancies, helped with adaptation to the local labor market and supported Ukrainians in the process of drawing up the necessary documents.
3. The well-being of the child care system. A large number of Ukrainian refugees are women with children, and the ability to find work often depended on the availability of places in kindergartens or other childcare systems. In Denmark, where the child care system is well developed, Ukrainian women were able to quickly join the labor market, as they had the opportunity to leave their children in reliable conditions during the working day.

Difficulties and challenges

Despite the successes, Nicholas Schmidt also noted that about 300,000 Ukrainians in the EU are registered as unemployed. These are people who want to work, but for various reasons have not yet been able to find a job. Among the reasons may be difficulties with the recognition of diplomas, language barriers or a lack of suitable vacancies.

Another challenge for many EU countries is that the employment system cannot always ensure the rapid adaptation of a large number of newcomers. In addition, some EU countries did not have a sufficiently developed support system for refugees or did not adapt their legal framework quickly enough for the integration of foreign workers.

Integration into the labor market in a global context

Despite certain challenges, in general, the integration of Ukrainians into the EU labor market is considered quite successful. The European Commissioner emphasized that the ability to quickly find a job for Ukrainians has become a key factor in their successful integration into European society. Many Ukrainians have managed to adapt to the new conditions and are already working in various sectors of the economy — from health care to industry and the service sector.

As of September 24, 2024, 1.6 million Ukrainians work in various countries of the European Union, which indicates significant progress in their integration. According to Shmit, this is the result of concerted actions by the governments of European countries, which promptly created conditions for the reception and employment of refugees.

Problems of social support of Ukrainians in the EU

Ukrainians who received the status of temporary protection in EU countries, in particular in Hungary, face cases of deprivation of social assistance due to the fact that they come from regions of Ukraine where hostilities are less intense or absent at all. Such cases can cause concern because, according to Nicholas Schmidt, this is a potential violation of the EU Temporary Protection Directive.

As Shmit noted, the Directive does not provide for regional differences for Ukrainian citizens.

“The directive on temporary protection does not make any regional distinctions in Ukraine. Even in those parts where fighting is less intense, shelling still occurs. For example, the recent tragic events in Lviv, where there were victims, confirm that danger is everywhere.” – stressed the European Commissioner.

The right to go to court

Nicholas Shmit also noted that Ukrainians who believe that their rights have been violated due to the denial of social assistance on a regional basis have the right to appeal to the court. Although he has not personally experienced such situations, the European Commissioner stressed the importance of anyone who considers themselves a victim to seek legal support and file a complaint.

“If such cases are systematic, and Ukrainian citizens are separated by their place of residence, this may indicate a violation of the directive on temporary protection. I think that everyone who believes that their rights have been violated can go to court or complain, and such cases will be considered” Nicholas Schmidt explained.

The integration of Ukrainians into the EU labor markets is an important step not only for the support of the refugees themselves, but also for the economic development of the countries that received them. The success of this process depends on many factors: the recognition of qualifications, effective support from public employment services and the availability of social services such as childcare. At the same time, despite certain difficulties, the overall result is positive, and Ukrainians were able to make a significant contribution to various branches of the European economy.

According to European Commissioner Nicholas Schmidt, the successful integration of Ukrainians into the EU labor markets is evidence that the system of temporary protection and employment for refugees works effectively, and this is an important lesson for future crisis situations that the European Union may face.