3.13.4.3. Employment

EU+ countries continued to focus on the swift employment of beneficiaries of international protection in 2023.

The Danish government and social partners (representatives of employers, organisations and trade unions) concluded an agreement to extend the Efficient Job and Training Programme (Integrationsgrunduddannelse) for an additional 4 years until 2028. The training programme offers paid internships and training for beneficiaries of international protection, which is complementary to public schemes that offer work placements, wage subsidies and mentoring. The new agreement also includes new target groups, such as reunified family members between the ages of 18-50 years, people evacuated from Afghanistan and beneficiaries of temporary protection from Ukraine.927  

A new study from the Rockwool Foundation Research found that reform-induced, large transfer cuts led to an increase in employment rates in the short run, especially for male workers. Although overall labour supply effects were initially considerable in magnitude – close to 15 percentage points on average – they decreased significantly relative to the initial effects and remain statistically insignificant after about 5-6 years.928  

The Swiss Pre-Apprenticeship for Integration (PAI) became a permanent integration programme and its scope was extended beyond beneficiaries of international protection to any adolescent or young adult who arrived to Switzerland from the EU, EFTA or third countries.929  

In Bulgaria, SAR signed an agreement with the New Bulgarian University to offer training and courses for beneficiaries of international protection on language and the organisation of the Bulgarian state and society, with a focus on helping them finding employment.930  

The Spanish State Secretary for Migration signed an agreement with the group of companies Tragsa and other third sector entities to facilitate access to the labour market for migrants arriving mainly from Central and South America.931 Although the project targets migrants in general, job offers will be sent mainly to beneficiaries of international protection. The first families to benefit from this project were Nicaraguan refugees who arrived to Spain from Costa Rica under the national resettlement programme in December 2023.932  

With the aim to integrate beneficiaries of international protection who do not speak German fluently into the labour market more quickly, the German federal government launched the programme ‘Jobturbo’. The programme is supported by the Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs (BMAS), the Federal Employment Agency, trade unions, business associations and job centres.933  

A significant increase in the number of beneficiaries of international protection registered in the Lithuanian Public Employment Service was observed in 2023 (1,430 more than in 2022). Although most of them were from Ukraine, other nationalities included Afghans, Belarusians, Iraqis, Russians, Syrians and Tajikistanis.934 Initiatives to promote their integration in the labour market were launched during the year. For instance, the Refugee Fellowship Initiative connected companies with beneficiaries of international protection with professional profiles of their interest. The initiative was set up by UNHCR, receives support from the Lithuanian Diversity Charter and the Lithuanian Red Cross, and is run in cooperation with international companies and organisations.935  

In Estonia, a Refugee Employability programme was launched to welcome beneficiaries of international protection who want to access the labour market or change jobs.936  

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