More than half of Ukrainian refugees are in salaried jobs in the Netherlands

More than half of Ukrainian refugees in the Netherlands are working as salaried employees, according to new data from Statistics Netherlands (CBS). The figures show a significant integration of Ukrainian refugees into the Dutch labor market following the Russian invasion of Ukraine in late February 2022.

As of November 1, an estimated 55% of the approximately 78,000 Ukrainian refugees between the ages of 15 and 65 were in paid employment, a notable increase from 44% a year earlier. Ukrainian refugees, who have been fleeing since Russia's late February 2022 invasion, are granted the unique status of not requiring work permits to secure employment in the Netherlands, distinguishing them from other non-European Union or European Free Trade Association migrants.

A majority, 53%, worked full-time, defined as 35 hours or more per week, and 15% were employed for 30 to 35 hours weekly. Most refugees found employment as on-call workers, representing 26%, while 39% worked through temp agencies, and 30% held other temporary contracts.

The employment rate was highest among refugees aged 25 to 45, at 59%, while the youngest cohort, aged 15 to 25, had the lowest rate at 49%. The employment was evenly distributed between male and female refugees.

Business services, which include temp agencies, employed 51% of the refugees, while 32% were engaged in the trade, transportation, or hospitality sectors—an increase of 5 percentage points from the previous year. Conversely, employment in business services saw a 5-point decline.

Ukrainian refugees in the Netherlands also tend to change employers frequently. Among those who were employed on both November 1, 2022, and November 1, 2023, 41% had changed employers during that time.