Poland Leads Europe in Employment Rate of Ukrainians – 78.4%

Poland ranks first among European countries in the employment rate of Ukrainian refugees, reaching 78.4%. This is more than double the corresponding figure in Germany, where only 31% of Ukrainian citizens are employed. In fact, nearly four out of five Ukrainians of working age currently in Poland have already integrated into the local labor market.

This is reported by AgroReview

Migration Dynamics and Labor Integration

According to data from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the number of immigrants arriving in Poland each year has increased from 47,000 in 2013 to over 300,000 in 2022. By the end of 2024, Poland received 14,500 asylum applications, nearly half of which were submitted by Ukrainian citizens (6,100 applications), with another 6,100 from Belarusians.

An active policy of attracting foreign workers contributes to strengthening Poland’s economy. Ukrainians demonstrate the highest employment rate among all immigrant groups at 78%. In comparison, this figure is 31% in Germany and only 17% in Spain. In Spain, most Ukrainians often rely on social assistance.

Ranking of Countries by Employment of Ukrainians

In addition to Poland, a high employment rate of Ukrainian citizens is observed in several other countries:

• Lithuania — 72%;
• United Kingdom — 69%;
• Sweden — 66%;
• Czech Republic — 63%;
• Denmark — 62%.

The top ten countries with the highest share of employed Ukrainians also include the USA, Estonia, the Netherlands, and France, where this figure ranges from 42% to 61%.

“The employment rate of foreigners in Poland is 78.4%, which is above the EU average (67.9%). Higher rates are found in Iceland, New Zealand, the Czech Republic, and Hungary.”

Additionally, Poland is among the leaders in the OECD for the number of temporary foreign workers. It is worth noting that the employment rate of foreigners in the Polish labor market even exceeds that of the Poles themselves: 81.1% compared to 74.6%.