German economist explains why 33,000 jobs for refugees is “a success”

Some 33,000 refugees have found jobs in Germany since spring 2015, Frank-Jürgen Weise, chief of Germany’s Federal Employment Agency has said.

“Refugees mostly go into sectors where there is a lack of suitable applicants,” Mr Weise told the Rheinische Post.

DW reported that a quarter of employed refugees were working on temporary contracts, with many having menial jobs as janitors or as security guards.

Mr Weise said having 33,000 employed refugees was laudable, revealing that some 130,000 refugees where unemployed and on benefits.

A similar view was expressed by Economist Wido Geis who said 33,000 jobs for refugees was a big success.

“That is definitely a success. Especially if you know how difficult it is to integrate refugees into the job market, because they, unlike other immigrants, must learn German first,” Mr Geis told DW in an exclusive interview.

Commenting on the high number of unemployed refugees, Mr Geis said: “The fact that we have many more unemployed than employed refugees is because integrating refugees into the job market takes time. There is a study by the Institute for Employment Research (IAB) stating that in the past it has taken refugees roughly 15 years to reach a level similar to other migrants. We also know that a great many people coming to Germany possess very few skills. The German economy has enough low-skilled workers at its disposal, so the effect on the job market cannot be thought of as overly positive.”