Problems finding a job

Where immigrants are struggling in the labor market

Women from Islamic countries were often not employed in their home country either.

(Bild: P. Huber)

Immigration is also putting the labor market to the test. While around 70 to 80 percent of Bosnians, Romanians and Serbs are in employment, the figure is less than 50 percent for Syrians, Afghans and Ukrainians. There are many reasons for this, and German language skills are apparently not the decisive factor, according to an analysis by the Integration Fund (ÖIF).

On average, it takes migrants one and a half years to find a job. The figures analyzed were mainly from third countries, specifically Bosnia, Romania, Serbia, Turkey, Afghanistan, Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia, Russia, Syria, Romania and Ukraine, who came to Austria no more than 15 years ago. Ukrainians have the highest level of education - over 50 percent are academics. One in three people from northwest Africa also have a university degree. Afghans and Turks, on the other hand, are rather poorly qualified, with a good half of them only having a compulsory school leaving certificate at most, and over 40 percent of Syrians.

However, this is not necessarily reflected in the job search. Ukrainians are the most likely to say it is difficult or impossible to find a job (85%), while Romanians and Turks find it easiest. Serbs and Bosnians are the most likely to look for work overall (see chart), and they usually come to Austria as migrant workers with the clear aim of finding a better-paid job. Syrians, on the other hand, are largely refugees and only subsequently look for employment. In some cases, they are also de facto blocked from the labor market due to ongoing asylum procedures.

(Bild: Krone KREATIV)

After six years, only every second immigrant is in employment
Often, however, it is not even the entry into the first job that is the problem, but rather the consolidation in the workplace. After six years, around half of migrants are unemployed, although many have already worked, sometimes for a short time, up to this point. It is alarming that three quarters of Syrians in the federal capital of Vienna, for example, live on minimum benefits.

But what are the reasons why many migrants do not find their way into working life so well? German language skills are frequently cited. However, the study by the Integration Fund shows that German language skills do not appear to be the biggest obstacle: Two thirds with poor German language skills have already been able to gain work experience in Austria. Nevertheless, better German language skills clearly increase the chances on the labor market.

Women from Islamic countries were often not employed in their home country either.

(Bild: P. Huber)

According to ÖIF expert Keri Hartmann, the following factors are more decisive than language skills:

• Childcare: when foreign families live in Austria, there is sometimes a lack of suitable childcare, which means that at least one parent stays at home.
• Gender: Women are less likely to be in the workforce. This also has to do with their background. Less than 40 percent of Afghan women were employed before moving to Austria. One reason for this is social roles in Islamic countries.
• Level of education: This can have an effect in both directions. While many asylum seekers with no more than a compulsory school leaving certificate are only suitable for low-wage sectors, some immigrants, for example from Ukraine, are even overqualified.
• Place of residence: Most refugees move to Vienna, but the job opportunities there are often not optimal because the requirements do not match the immigrants' qualifications. Refugees living in Vienna are almost 15 percentage points less likely to have been employed in Austria than in the rest of the country.
• Lack of social contacts: Refugees or labor migrants from third countries often lack the social network to quickly integrate into society. The labor market would actually be the most important lever here; getting started is crucial in this case.

Ukrainians well qualified, but often not in Austria for the long term
Ukrainian displaced persons are a special case. Figures here should sometimes be treated with caution, as many have only recently arrived in Austria. In addition to their exceptionally good qualifications, another factor is that many Ukrainians intend to return to their home country as soon as possible, which is why some of them are less likely to look for work. Syrians, Afghans and Turks, on the other hand, tend to want to stay longer.