The potential contribution of Ukrainian refugees to the labour force in European host
countries
The unprovoked war of aggression of Russia against Ukraine on 24 February 2022 has
generated a historical mass outflow of people fleeing the conflict, unseen in Europe
since World War II. While there is a lot of uncertainty regarding the potential length
of stay of these refugees in their host countries, many of the working-age adults
will seek to work during their stay. This brief reviews the distribution of Ukrainian
refugees across European countries and their demographic characteristics. It discusses
the existing evidence about the labour market integration of refugees, and applies
this information to the case of Ukrainian refugees to provide estimates of the number
of active and employed Ukrainian refugees in European countries by the end of 2022
and compares these results to the impact of previous large inflows of refugees, in
particular the 2014-17 arrivals.
Published on July 27, 2022
In series:OECD Policy Responses on the Impacts of the War in Ukraineview more titles