European Union launches job portal to connect Ukrainian refugees with employers

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An estimated 7.6 million Ukrainians have become refugees since Russia invaded Ukraine eight months ago. In addition to looking for new homes, many are also looking for new jobs.

What in the world? Some 4.5 million Ukrainians who fled to Europe have registered for programs like the European Union’s Temporary Protection Directive, which allows them to live and work anywhere in the EU for up to three years. Despite this special status and a worker shortage across the EU, Ukranians have struggled to find work due to factors like lack of reliable childcare and language barriers, according to the Washington Post.

In response to the disconnect, the European Commission released a job-search tool in October to connect unemployed Ukrainian refugees with more than 4,000 employers, according to Reuters.

“It is a very important signal to launch the talent pool pilot for people who have to flee the war in Ukraine,” Nicolas Schmit, European commissioner for Jobs and Social Rights, said during a press conference, per Euractiv.

The goal is to connect refugees with good jobs, so they aren’t exploited while under duress, said Schmit.

Satellite view. The situation hasn’t been as promising for the 70,000 Ukrainians who’ve fled to the US. Many still can’t legally get jobs, according to reports, as they’re stuck in a backlogged work approval process, made more complicated because they don’t have refugee status. Instead, they’re considered humanitarian parolees—they are in the country legally, but temporarily. That means they don’t have immediate access to benefits like resettlement assistance, according to the US Department of Health and Human Services, but may apply for them.

“I couldn’t tell you how many voice messages and emails I have from different companies who are looking forward to hir[ing] Ukrainians,” Oleg Pynda, executive director of the Ukrainian Community Center of Washington, told the Seattle Times.

But, while HR leaders in the EU can now tap a new, skilled talent pool, those in the US will likely have to wait.—KP

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