Ukraine refugees: more planning certainty called for
A study commissioned by the Swiss Employers' Association shows that one in ten companies in Switzerland has already employed refugees from Ukraine and satisfaction with their performance is high. However, the companies also face challenges.
Shortly after the start of the armed conflict in Ukraine, the Federal Council decided to grant S protection status to the refugees. This decision was widely supported by the business community, including the Swiss Employers' Association (SAV). In the meantime, around 60,000 Ukraine refugees have been registered. Slightly more than half, about 33,000, are of working age. According to the State Secretariat for Migration, about 10 percent of those of working age are now in employment. At a media conference on August 18, 2022, the Swiss Employers Association welcomed the fact that companies are making an important contribution to the integration of people from Ukraine in Switzerland. Gainful employment enables a structured daily life, financial independence and participation in social life during their stay in Switzerland. In order to learn more about the interest, but also the challenges and needs of Swiss companies regarding the employment of Ukrainian refugees, the SAV commissioned the research institute Sotomo to conduct a representative company survey.
More than half of companies want to hire Ukraine refugees
The survey shows that 56 percent of the companies are generally interested in employing them and almost every tenth company has already employed people with protection status S. Companies that have hired Ukrainian refugees are satisfied with their performance. According to the survey, by employing people from Ukraine, companies are demonstrating their intention to make a contribution to solidarity. The quality of the Ukrainian workforce and their high motivation are also cited as important factors.
At the same time, there are factors that make employment more difficult. Inadequate language skills are cited particularly frequently in this context - they are a major reason for non-employment, especially in the case of catering companies and companies in the healthcare and social services sectors. These are also the sectors that generally see the most potential in hiring Ukrainian refugees. 62 percent of companies also call for greater commitment and increased efforts on the part of the federal government and cantons with regard to language course offerings.
Extension of the right of residence desired
The right of residence of persons with protection status S is currently limited to one year - the residence permit of the first persons will therefore already expire in about half a year. This lack of clarity about how to proceed with protection status S is unsettling for many companies. Thus, 81 percent of the companies surveyed that have already hired would welcome an extension of the right of residence for the duration of the employment. SAV President Valentin Vogt emphasized the relevance of planning security at the media conference: "A perspective regarding the stay of Ukrainian refugees in Switzerland would encourage companies to further promote or even intensify integration by means of internships and apprenticeships."
In part, however, the respondents also state that at present they simply lack applications from people from Ukraine. They therefore call for a more active role of the REOs in the registration and placement of persons with protection status S. Judith Bellaiche, Director of Swico, from the ICT sector also reported that there are difficulties in recruitment. According to her, it is extremely difficult for companies to get in touch with refugees directly, and this circumstance is made even more difficult by decentralized and small-scale responsibilities. In some cases, the refugees also had a lack of knowledge of the Swiss labor market, which made it difficult for them to position themselves in the market. "In this respect, support from the regional employment centers (RAV) would be very welcome. Thanks to their structures and knowledge of the labor market, they could offer assistance in finding a job," says Bellaiche.
Labor shortage: a drop in the bucket
And are Ukrainian refugees able to dampen the shortage of skilled workers somewhat? It seems that the immigration of refugees from Ukraine is only a drop in the bucket. However, according to a good one in two of the companies surveyed, people from Ukraine with S protection status can at least partially counteract the labor shortage. Companies that have had or still have a need for workers since March of this year are more likely to see persons with protection status S as a way to alleviate the current labor shortage in their respective industries. On the other hand, companies in the industrial sector see somewhat less potential for counteracting the labor shortage than do companies in the hospitality and healthcare sectors, for example.
Source: Swiss Employers' Association
