Opportunities for Refugees in the German Labour Market: Results of a Corporate Survey

Most observers of the current refugee crisis agree that the integration of foreign immigrants will happen via the labour market. But what options do companies see? Which occupational areas offer real chances? What are the barriers to recruiting refugees? According to the results of a survey of around 3,000 companies conducted by the Ifo Institute in October 2015, 59% of companies see a good chance of them employing asylum-seekers, typically as labourers or trainees. Only 22% of companies believed that they were very likely to find skilled workers among the refugees. Legal issues like the minimum wage and bureaucracy are equally important barriers as a lack of linguistic skills or professional training.