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Half of Early Ukrainian Refugees in Germany Now Employed as IAB Warns Policy Shift Could Stall Gains

Researchers link the faster progress to immediate labor‑market access with coordinated Jobcenter support.

Overview

  • A new IAB/BAMF analysis reports that 50% of Ukrainians who arrived between February and August 2022 were in jobs after 42 months, compared with roughly 68% employment in the wider working‑age population.
  • Despite rising employment, 41% of working Ukrainians lived in households receiving supplementary benefits nearly three years after arrival, reflecting concentration in low‑paid and helper roles.
  • Marked gender gaps persist, with about 64% of men employed versus 55% of women after 42 months and median monthly pay of €2,543 for men versus €1,624 for women.
  • Early inclusion in Bürgergeld and systematic Jobcenter support from June 2022 accelerated hiring, and those admitted from that date entered work faster than the earliest arrivals.
  • Researchers caution that shifting post‑31 March 2025 arrivals to asylum‑seeker benefits and recent cuts to integration and language courses—now under Bundestag consideration—could slow future labour‑market integration.