More and more Ukrainians are finding work
According to an IAB study, the proportion of Ukrainian refugees among all employees in Germany has tripled in the past two years - from 0.2 percent in 2022 to 0.6 percent at the end of 2024. In the fourth quarter of 2024, around 242,000 refugees from Ukraine had a job, 165,000 of whom were subject to social security contributions.
Small and medium-sized companies in particular are increasingly hiring Ukrainians: around two thirds of employees work in companies with 10 to 249 employees. Unemployment among refugees has also fallen significantly - from around 68% in 2022 to 45% at the end of 2024.
According to the IAB, 14% of companies had contact with Ukrainian refugees in 2024, for example through applications or job interviews. 41% of companies stated that they had hired at least one person from Ukraine. Extrapolated, this corresponds to around 124,000 companies in Germany.
Planned law could slow down integration
However, the IAB warns that planned legislative changes could slow down the trend - in particular the planned abolition of the citizens' allowance for Ukrainians.
Explanation: Up to now, refugees from Ukraine who have a Residence permit in accordance with Section 24 of the Residence Act (Mass Influx Directive) have been entitled to social benefits (e.g. citizen's allowance). This gives them support in finding work and access to support programs via the job centers.
A planned law by the German government now aims to change this. It stipulates that refugees from Ukraine who arrive in Germany after April 1, 2025 should no longer receive basic income support (citizen's allowance). Instead, they are to receive benefits in accordance with the Asylum Seekers' Benefits Act. This would also mean that they would no longer be the responsibility of the job centers.
IAB researcher Martin Dietz warns: "Support for labor market integration must not deteriorate, otherwise the successes of recent years could be lost."
Record for recognition of Ukrainian qualifications
Parallel to the increase in employment, more and more Ukrainians are having their professional professional qualifications recognized in Germany. According to the Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training (BIBB), around 7,300 Ukrainian qualifications were officially recognized in 2024 - a new record.
This puts Ukraine in second place among the countries of origin with the most applications for recognition, just behind Turkey. In 95 percent of the procedures, full or partial equivalence with a German qualification was established.
A particularly high number of applications came from the fields of nursing, medicine, engineering, teaching and education. There was also a record number of applications for the assessment of university degrees (e.g. university diplomas): 45,100 applications were submitted in 2024 - ten times more than in 2022.
Why do qualifications have to be recognized?
Recognition checks whether a qualification obtained abroad is equivalent to a German qualification. It is primarily mandatory for so-called regulated professions - i.e. professions that are protected by law in Germany.
Examples of this are
- Doctor
- Nursing specialist
- Teacher
- Educator
- Engineers
You are not allowed to work in these professions in Germany without recognition of your qualification, or only to a limited extent.
For non-regulated professions - such as trades, IT, design or office work - recognition is voluntary. However, it brings advantages: better job opportunities, higher pay and often better opportunities for a Residence permit or further qualifications.
How does the recognition procedure work?
The procedure is regulated in the Professional Qualifications Assessment Act (BQFG). Depending on the profession, different authorities are responsible - for example chambers of industry and commerce (IHK), chambers of skilled trades or state medical associations.
The procedure comprises several steps:
- Advice: This step is not mandatory, but is recommended by official bodies. A consultation provides all the essential information on the recognition procedure and informs applicants in advance whether financial support is possible.
- Application: First of all, those affected must submit an application to the competent authority. Which authority is responsible depends on the profession in question.
- Examination of documents: Among other things, training and work certificates, proof of the duration of training and, if necessary, translations by sworn translators are required.
- Equivalency test: Experts check whether the qualification is comparable to the German qualification. If the qualification is not equivalent, compensatory measures (e.g. adaptation courses or examinations) may be required.
- Notification: At the end, a notification of recognition is issued - either with full equivalence, partial equivalence (with conditions or courses) or no equivalence (if there are too many differences to the German qualification).
The Central Office for Foreign Education (ZAB) is responsible for higher education qualifications that lead to non-regulated professions. It assesses which German qualification (e.g. Bachelor's or Master's) the foreign qualification corresponds to.
Duration: usually 3-4 months, longer for complex procedures
Cost: 100-600 euros plus translation costs
Support: e.g. via the recognition grant from the Federal Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs (BMAS)
