СОЦІАЛЬНА ПОЛІТИКА ЄС ЩОДО ІНТЕГРАЦІЇ ЗОВНІШНЬО ПЕРЕМІЩЕНИХ ОСІБ З УКРАЇНИ НА РИНОК ПРАЦІ

The integration of Ukrainian refugees into the European Union’s labor market is one of the most pressing challenges for EU social policy. Following the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine, millions of Ukrainians sought refuge in EU member states, necessitating urgent policy measures to ensure their social protection and employment opportunities. This study explores the legal and economic dimensions of their integration, analyzing both EU-wide regulations and country-specific responses. One of the key legal instruments facilitating this process is Directive 2001nbsp;/nbsp;55nbsp;/nbsp;EC, which grants temporary protection to displaced persons. This directive enabled Ukrainian refugees to access the labor market immediately without undergoing the lengthy asylum application procedures. However, its implementation varies significantly across EU member states. Poland, Germany, and the Czech Republic have demonstrated the most effective integration practices, with streamlined work authorization processes. In contrast, countries such as France and Switzerland impose additional bureaucratic hurdles, slowing down labor market access. Despite the formal right to employment, the research highlights several structural barriers: (1) Labour market segmentation (a significant proportion of Ukrainian refugees are employed in low-wage sectors); (2) Recognition of qualifications (many highly skilled Ukrainian workers face challenges in obtaining recognition of their diplomas and professional experience, particularly in regulated professions such as medicine and education; (3) Gender disparities (many Ukrainian women arrived with children, making access to work highly dependent on the availability of childcare and social support systems; (4)nbsp;Uneven distribution of workforce and secondary migration (some Ukrainian refugees, after receiving temporary protection in Poland or the Czech Republic, relocated to Germany and France in search of better wages and working conditions). The findings indicate that although Ukrainian refugees integrate into the labour market faster than previous waves of asylum seekers (such as those from Syria or Afghanistan), long-term employment stability remains a challenge. More than two-thirds of Ukrainian refugees in Western Europe remain unemployed three years after displacement, highlighting the gap between formal labor rights and practical employability.