EU publications

How are refugees faring on the labour market in Europe?

A first evaluation based on the 2014 EU Labour Force Survey ad hoc module. 1/2016

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In 2014, the EU Labour Force Survey (LFS) included 11 additional variables on migrants and their descendants to supplement the information already contained in the core EU-LFS (also known as the 2014 LFS Ad Hoc Module on the Labour market situation of migrants and their immediate descendants). This additional information allows notably identifying migrants by reason for migration. Although selfdeclared, this information is particularly valuable because, for the first time since 2008, it enables to analyse the characteristics and the labour market outcomes of people who have come to Europe in... need of international protection and to compare them of other migrant groups. As Europe is facing an unprecedented wave of asylum seekers, many of whom are likely to be granted international protection and stay, the question of the integration of refugees is gaining central stage. Several EU Member States and other OECD countries have already taken steps to cope with this issue while others, who are less exposed or less experienced, are still in the inception phase regarding integration policies for refugees and other people in need of protection. While the 2014 Ad Hoc Module does not capture the situation of the refugees who came in 2014 and 2015, it provides important lessons from previous waves of refugees coming to the EU (i.e. those that came before 2014). It provides a unique opportunity to shed light on how refugees are faring in Europe in the medium- and long-term and to inform policy making in this area. After briefly discussing the coverage and limitations of the data source, this report looks at the main sociodemographic characteristics of refugees, their labour market outcomes and their determinants. The analysis also pays special attention to refugee women and to long-term integration through the acquisition of citizenship. The last section draws some key conclusions emerging from this analysis.