Among the many Ukrainians who have found refuge in Poland since Russia invaded their country, over 100,000 have since found employment in their host country, new government figures show.
Poland has been the primary destination for refugees, with almost 3.2 million people crossing its border from Ukraine since the start of the war. Estimates by the government, the Union of Polish Metropolises and the Centre of Migration Research at the University of Warsaw indicate that between 1.5 and 2 million remain in Poland.
Refugees from Ukraine have caused large increases in the populations of Polish cities:
– Rzeszów: +53%
– Gdańsk: +34%
– Katowice: +33%
– Wrocław: +29%
– Kraków: +23%
– Lublin: +20%
– Poznań: +16%
– Szczecin: +15%
– Warsaw: +15%
– Łódź: +13%
– Bydgoszcz: +13%
– Białystok: +12% pic.twitter.com/aN8NcOK1BR— Daniel Tilles (@danieltilles1) April 25, 2022
As part of a law introduced in March to support Ukrainian refugees, the government made it easier for them to join the labour market by abolishing the previously required permits and allowing employers to simply inform the Labour Office about hiring a Ukrainian refugee within 14 days.
By early April, 30,000 Ukrainians had used those eased requirements to find work, and that figure has now risen to 102,000, according to government figures published yesterday.
Of those, the vast majority, around 75%, are women, who along with children and the elderly make up the vast majority of those to have fled Ukraine.
Almost a million Ukrainian refugees – 95% of them women and children – have obtained Polish ID numbers, giving them access to public services and benefits.
The government says it will extend payments for households that are hosting around 600,000 refugees https://t.co/2B026hFK73
— Notes from Poland 🇵🇱 (@notesfrompoland) April 22, 2022
Almost half are working in unskilled labour, with a further 18% doing office or other specialist work, 14% in industrial or craft production, 11% in sales and services, and another 10% working as machine operators and assemblers.
The provinces that have seen the largest numbers of Ukrainian refugees find work are Masovia (18,100), Lower Silesia (12,300), Wielkopolska (11,600) and Silesia (10,000).
Kamil Sobolewski, chief economist for Employers of Poland, Poland’s largest employers’ organisation, believes that the figures appear low compared to the total number of refugees in Poland because many are working in the shadow economy. He told Rzeczpospolita that the true number working could be twice as high as the official figure.
When announcing the data yesterday, the government reminded Ukrainians that they should not agree to take on work without signing a contract and should ensure that they fully understand what they are signing. It is also offering career counselling and training to those unable to find work.
“Every day, a few thousand more Ukrainian citizens find employment, thus gaining a source of income and having a chance to live independently in our country,” said family and social policy minister Marlena Maląg.
“These people mainly perform simple work in industries in which employers report staff shortages,” she added. “The situation on the labour market in Poland is good, and employers are constantly looking for new employees.”
While the war in Ukraine has led to refugees joining Poland’s labour market, it has also caused shortages in some industries, especially those – such as construction and transport – that previously employed many Ukrainian men, some of whom have returned to defend their homeland.
Last month, the government extended financial support paid to households that are hosting refugees, estimating that around 600,000 Ukrainians are benefiting from it. However, it said that the payments would end this summer and refugees helped to “become self-reliant”.
The government has also repeatedly appealed to the European Union to establish new forms of funding to support countries that have taken in large numbers of refugees, an idea that Brussels has so far rejected, instead preferring to redirect existing funds.
Given that around half of the Ukrainians to have fled to Poland are children, Polish schools have also seen an influx of new pupils. As of last week, almost 200,000 new Ukrainian children had enrolled at schools, preschools and other public education institutions, according to government figures.
Deputy education minister Dariusz Piontkowski told the Polish Press Agency (PAP) that an estimated further 500,000 Ukrainian children are in Poland. Some of those are continuing to receive a Ukrainian education online, and the ministry is working with its counterparts in Ukraine to help them take online exams.
Daniel Tilles is editor-in-chief of Notes from Poland. He has written on Polish affairs for a wide range of publications, including Foreign Policy, POLITICO Europe, EUobserver and Dziennik Gazeta Prawna.
