Increasing integration of refugees into the labor market
A recent study conducted by 'Synthesis Forschung' in collaboration with 'Österreichischer Integrationsfonds (ÖIF)', based on data from social insurance and the labor market service 'AMS', reveals a detailed picture of the situation of migrants in the Austrian labor market, showing who succeeds in professional integration and who faces difficulties.
The data shows that most migrants who choose to stay in Austria succeed in finding work. However, there are clear disparities between different nationalities. Citizens from EU countries and third countries (excluding refugees) often come for work purposes, and statistics show that 75% of EU citizens and 74% of arrivals from third countries in 2022 were employed during their first year in Austria. After five to seven years, the employment rate among EU citizens rises to 80%.
However, the professional integration of refugees is slower, partly because they are not allowed to work before obtaining a decision on asylum or protection. Nevertheless, positive figures emerge among male refugees: among those who entered the country in 2015, 78% of men were participating in the labor market after eight years, while the rate among women was only 34%. Refugees generally need between seven to twelve years to reach two-thirds of the average income in Austria.
In the last 15 years, about 2.2 million people have arrived in Austria, at a rate of between 100,000 and 200,000 annually, most of them from EU countries, especially Germany. They leave the country relatively quickly; after just one year, a quarter of them leave, and after three to four years, half of them depart. In contrast, those coming from third countries tend to stay longer, with more than half settling permanently, and two-thirds remaining after five years of arrival.
As for refugees, the picture is more complex. Of those who arrived in 2011, 60% remained in the country after 12 years. Those who came with the major refugee wave in 2015 had the same percentage remaining as well. However, in recent years, new refugees have been leaving Austria at a faster pace; 70% of asylum seekers in 2022 were no longer in the country in 2023. Nevertheless, those coming from Afghanistan and Syria tend to stay at a high rate.
In western Austria, refugees record lower unemployment rates, due to the generally low unemployment rate in those areas. Among the refugees who settled in the west or center since 2015, their employment rate in 2023 reached over 80%, compared to 59-62% among those who moved to the east, especially in Vienna.
The reason many refugees are moving to Vienna is due to the presence of communities from the same countries, which creates strong pull factors. These communities can support newcomers in finding jobs, but if they primarily rely on social assistance, they lose this ability and do not help in learning the German language.
About 72% of recognized refugees in Austria live in Vienna, and this group makes up about half of the recipients of 'Mindestsicherung' (social assistance), nearly half of whom are children.
Migration expert Rainer Münz emphasizes the urgent need to improve job opportunities for women, as the majority of migrants are younger and have more children compared to the native population, making the availability of childcare a crucial factor in enabling women to learn German and engage in the labor market. However, the priority system for childcare for working parents hinders this goal and is considered a negative aspect from an integration perspective.