Slight increase in Ukrainian refugees with paid work in Netherlands

Nearly 60 percent of Ukrainian refugees in the Netherlands were employed as of November 1, 2024, according to new data from Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek (CBS). Of the more than 92,000 Ukrainian refugees aged 15 to 65, 59 percent held salaried positions, up from 55 percent in November 2023, marking a slight increase. Unlike most non-EU migrants, Ukrainians do not require work permits to be employed in the Netherlands, granting them a unique status.

Ukrainians between 25 and 45 years old were the most likely to be employed, with 63 percent working in salaried jobs. Employment was lower among those aged 15 to 25, at 50 percent. Refugees between 45 and 65 matched the overall average of 59 percent. Employment rates among men and women were nearly identical.

A majority of Ukrainian refugees held flexible contracts, with 38 percent working as temporary staff through employment agencies, 24 percent as on-call workers, and 29 percent in other fixed-term contracts. More than half, 53 percent, worked at least 35 hours per week, while 15 percent worked between 30 and 35 hours.

The business services sector, which includes temporary employment agencies, accounted for 50 percent of jobs held by Ukrainian refugees. However, many of these workers were likely placed in other industries through staffing agencies. The second-largest employment sector was trade, transport, and hospitality, which employed 32 percent of Ukrainian refugees.

Throughout 2022 and 2023, the share of Ukrainians working through employment agencies declined. By 2024, this trend stabilized, while the number of refugees securing permanent contracts increased from 5 percent in November 2023 to 9 percent in November 2024.

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