Around 6 in 10 Ukrainian refugees are in paid employment

© ANP / Egbert Hartman

Erratum:

The percentages initially shown in the text and graph were incorrect and these have now been rectified. The title ‘Nearly 2 in 3 Ukrainian refugees in employment’ has also been changed to ‘Around 6 in 10 Ukrainian refugees in employment’.
On 1 May 2025, 61 percent of Ukrainian refugees in the Netherlands were in employment. That was more than in the previous year, when the share was 57 percent. Statistics Netherlands (CBS) reports this on the basis of newly released figures.
Ukrainian refugees who came to the Netherlands after the Russian invasion in late February 2022 do not need a work permit here. This puts them in an exceptional position compared to other migrants from outside the European Union or countries of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA).

A total of 96 thousand Ukrainian refugees aged between 15 and 65 were living in the Netherlands. Those aged between 25 and 45 were the most likely to have a job, while young people aged between 15 and 25 were the least likely. Women were more likely to be in employment than men (62 percent versus 59 percent).


Majority of Ukrainians work full-time, mostly on a flexible employment contract

Most Ukrainian refugees were employed as temporary workers (36 percent), on-call workers (23 percent), or had some other temporary employment contract (28 percent). More than half of them (52 percent) work full-time (35 hours per week or more), while 16 percent work 30 to 34 hours per week.

The majority of Ukrainian refugees were employed in the business services sector (49 percent), which includes temporary employment agencies. It is often impossible to verify in which sectors temporary workers are being deployed. Besides working in business services, a relatively high number of Ukrainian refugees were employed in the trade, transport, and accommodation and food services sectors (32 percent).

During 2022 and 2023, the share of those working as temporary workers and/or in business services fell, while in 2024 it remained stable. However, the share of people on permanent employment contracts rose, from 7 percent in May 2024 to 13 percent in the following year.

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