According to the Federal Employment Agency, there are currently 215,400 Ukrainian citizens employed throughout the country, 171,500 of them in jobs subject to social security contributions and another 43,900 in part-time jobs. Compared to the previous year, employment of Ukrainians increased by almost 36 percent.
However, many Ukrainians who can work in Germany are still unemployed. Now some of these people explain why this is so. They give several reasons, but some are recurring.
“The benefits we receive from the social welfare office are very good and we feel comfortable in Germany,” a 27-year-old mother told Bild newspaper. However, she also says that she “would like to look for a job at some point.”
Another mother also says that she currently cannot work because of the child. However, that should change soon. “Soon I will get him a daycare and then I will be able to go to a language school. And then I want to go back to work as a pastry chef.”
“Not worth it”
The case of a 40-year-old man is different. He is not satisfied with the payment for the job offered by the employment office. “I'll be honest: it's not worth it! “I have no motivation for that,” he tells Bild. And also: “Because if I worked for Amazon or other companies for 8 or 9 euros net per hour, I would have to pay the rent, electricity and water myself. Then I would have very little left compared to the 563 euros of the citizen's salary” . money that he would have without receiving a deduction.”
Language hinders another mother. She says: “I am looking for a job as a salesperson, preferably in a supermarket or grocery store like in Ukraine.” This 41-year-old woman, who could only work part-time because of her children, is waiting. for a language course.
“Too slow”: Labor Minister Heil calls for changes in the law for faster labor integration
Federal Labor Minister Hubertus Heil (SPD) and his North Rhine-Westphalian counterpart Karl-Josef Laumann (CDU) are also calling for this to change. You have advocated for changes to the law to facilitate the recognition of foreign professional qualifications.
“Professional recognition is too slow in Germany,” Heil said Monday during a visit to a kindergarten in Neuss, North Rhine-Westphalia. This will be the topic of the Prime Minister's conference with Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) in June. “We have to eliminate bureaucratic obstacles,” Heil demanded. “In other countries there are also well-trained people.”
Given the shortage of skilled workers, “it is systemically important for Germany to integrate people and get them to work faster,” Laumann stressed. “We need to stop simply evaluating formal qualifications.” Expectations regarding language levels should not be too high either. Heil added that anyone who has completed the German course should get immediate employment, with opportunities for advancement, rather than “chasing people through more courses.”