The majority have jobs

Fewer and fewer Ukrainians are in basic services

A lot of time has passed since the residents of the emergency quarters first explored Linz. Most of the displaced people are now working.(Bild: Rotes Kreuz/Hadler)

More than two and a half years have passed since the outbreak of war in Ukraine - since then, the impact on Upper Austria has changed dramatically. The short version: Fewer and fewer Ukrainians are in basic services, more and more in the labor market.

In August 2022, six months after the outbreak of war, 7030 Ukrainians in Upper Austria were receiving benefits from basic welfare support - a record high! Since then, the number has fallen continuously, down to 2788 this summer.

Another number, however, has skyrocketed: while 3482 Ukrainians still had jobs here in July 2023, this figure has now risen to more than 4000. Most of those displaced by the war work in agriculture, forestry and fishing (827), followed by manufacturing (653) and accommodation and catering (626).

Around 1,400 Ukrainian children are currently attending school in Upper Austria, the same number as in summer 2022.(Bild: Pressefoto Scharinger © Daniel Scharinger)

Obligation to make an effort and job exchanges
Wolfgang Hattmannsdorfer's office explains the development with the "obligation to make an effort" introduced by the ÖVP politician - in order to receive basic benefits, Ukrainians must register with the AMS - and the regional job exchanges of the Public Employment Service, which provide jobs for refugees.

Many displaced persons want to stay
However, the fact that many Ukrainians now want to stay with us in the long term probably also plays a role. This is shown by several surveys as well as a look into Upper Austria's classrooms. In summer 2022, there were 1401 Ukrainian schoolchildren there. Two years later, there are almost as many: This year, 1412 Ukrainian children started the school year.