Half of the Ukrainians who arrived in Germany in the first six months of Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine were employed after three and a half years in Germany. This is according to an analysis by the Institute for Labor Market Research of the Federal Employment Agency and the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees, published on Tuesday, February 17, DW writes.
According to the study, the employment rate of refugees from Ukraine in Germany is higher than that of migrants from previous waves – Ukrainians reached an employment rate of 50 percent approximately two and a half years earlier (for example, it took six years for refugees from other countries who arrived in Germany in 2015 to achieve such an employment rate).
Researchers attribute this to Ukrainians’ high level of education, the absence of a mandatory asylum procedure, and the ability to start working immediately.
At the same time, the analysis shows that the employment rate of Ukrainians is significantly lower than the national average, which in June 2025 was about 68 percent. Experts attribute this to psychological trauma associated with the war and migration.
Many refugees are women who are caring for children on their own due to restrictions on the departure of men of military age from Ukraine. In September 2025, only 21 percent of Ukrainian women with children under 3 years old and no partner had a job.
Due to the partial employment of many Ukrainians, the share of those receiving state benefits (Bürgergeld) remains high.
In the first half of 2025, 41% of employed Ukrainians lived in households that received additional benefits, and this figure is especially high among families with children.
