In July 2026, about 409.7 thousand citizens of Ukraine were working in Germany. Over the year, their number increased by 63 thousand, or 18.3%. The growth of Ukrainians' employment in Germany occurred against the backdrop of a decrease in the total number of employed individuals in the country. This is reported by Dengi.ua.
The publication cites data from the Institute for Employment Research in Germany (IAB) and the Zuwanderungsmonitor survey. Economist Oleksandr Kostiuk links this dynamic to the gradual strengthening of Ukrainians' positions in the German labor market.
How many Ukrainians work in Germany and look for jobs
Total employment in Germany decreased by approximately 180 thousand individuals during the corresponding annual period. In contrast, the number of employed Ukrainian citizens increased by more than 60 thousand.
The number of registered unemployed Ukrainians also decreased. In September 2026, there were 206.5 thousand, which is about 10 thousand fewer than the previous year.
Key indicators are presented for different months:
- July: 409.7 thousand employed Ukrainians;
- August: 1.432 million citizens of Ukraine residing in Germany;
- September: 206.5 thousand registered unemployed Ukrainians.
The number of citizens of Ukraine in the country increased by 5.2% over the year. Ukrainians also made up about 13% of all new immigrants who arrived in Germany during January–July 2026.
This data includes citizens of Ukraine and is not identical to statistics on individuals who have temporary protection status. By the number of Ukrainians under temporary protection, Germany remains the largest host country in the EU.
If you are interested in working in Germany, we suggest exploring 140,000 job vacancies on the Layboard portal.
How the share of social welfare recipients has changed
In June 2026, 636.9 thousand citizens of Ukraine were receiving benefits under the SGB II system. At the same time, the share of recipients cited in the survey decreased over the year from 56.1% to 49.9%, a decline of 6.2 percentage points.
This indicates a gradual reduction in the proportion of individuals relying on support. However, the number of aid recipients cannot be equated with the number of unemployed: these indicators describe different groups and circumstances.
According to Kostiuk's estimate, in terms of labor integration of Ukrainians, Germany still lags behind Poland, the Czech Republic, and Denmark. However, the gap is gradually narrowing, and the role of Ukrainian workers in the German economy is strengthening.
Despite the positive dynamics, a significant part of the citizens of Ukraine still requires state support. Employment issues remain related to the conditions for receiving aid and requirements for aid recipients.