The news of February 24 did not just hit millions of Ukrainians who started fleeing their home country to escape the warzone but also European countries that came together to shelter as many Ukrainian refugees as possible.
Seems that this unfortunate situation can work for the benefit of both parties: Ukrainians seeking better life and working conditions as well as European countries facing a labour shortage across many sectors.
According to a survey and study conducted by the European Union Asylum Agency (EUAA), three in five eligible respondents are employed, showing relatively high employment rates among Ukrainians and even higher chances for future employment.
However, the education level of Ukrainian respondents was impressive, with more than two-thirds of them saying they had completed tertiary education. In detail, more than two-fifths held a master’s degree, followed by one-fifth with a bachelor’s degree and four per cent holding a PhD.
Nicholas Schmit, the EU Commissioner for Jobs and Social Rights, previously said that Ukrainian arrivals have had a positive impact on the EU labour market.
In an interview with Radio Free Europe, he noted that in 11 EU member states that are part of Central and Eastern Europe (known as CEE countries), over 60 per cent of Ukrainians who registered as job seekers were employed, while the latest EU figures show that in total, 1.87 million Ukrainians in 19 European countries have signed an employment contract.
This has had a certain impact on improving the labour shortage situation in many European labour markets.
Under the Temporary Protection Directive, Ukrainians are able to live and work in the Schengen Area, as well as access healthcare and education.
EUAA study found that for most Ukrainian refugees in Europe, the language spoken was a determining factor in choosing a host country, with one in three being proficient in the host country’s language. Nonetheless, language courses were still identified as a pressing need.
Moreover, employment outcomes were dependent on language ability, education, and previous fields of work. People in technical fields or with higher degrees were more likely to be employed, while older respondents who did not speak any European language or English or had worked in low-skilled sectors before coming to Europe were at increased risk of unemployment.
According to Ukraine’s Center for Economic Strategy (CES), around 63 per cent of Ukrainians currently residing abroad plan to return to their country, but the details on when and how remain unclear.
The centre estimates that 5.6 million and 6.7 million Ukrainians lived abroad at the end of June 2023. Most of them – around 4.8 million, live in EU member states or the UK.
