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Number of Ukrainian refugees working in Denmark triples in one month

The number of displaced persons from Ukraine who have jobs in Denmark increased three-fold between April and May this year.

Published: 8 June 2022 13:06 CEST

People march in support of Ukraine in Copenhagen

People march in support of Ukraine in Copenhagen in April. The number of Ukrainians working in Denmark has risen sharply. Photo: Nils Meilvang/Ritzau Scanpix

Preliminary figures from May show 1,055 Ukrainians hired on the labour market in Denmark compared to 320 in April, the Employment Ministry said in a statement on Wednesday.

The figures encompass people from Ukraine who fled from the country after the invasion by Russia on February 24th this year.

The ministry said it expects the total to further increase because companies can register tax on staff earnings in May until the deadline of June 10th.

“One in seven (Ukrainian refugees) have found a job since the war broke out and that’s very good going,”” employment minister Peter Hummelgaard said.

“We want them to work, and they fortunately have a large appetite for it,” he added.

The minister also said that many Ukrainians are still awaiting work permits and that others are waiting to be allocated housing or childcare.

Latest figures from the Danish Immigration service (Udlændingestyrelsen) show that around 30,000 Ukrainians have been granted residency in Denmark under a special law passed earlier this year.

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'Difficult but not impossible': How foreigners tackle the jobs market in Denmark

The job-searching process in Denmark can be a daunting process, with more than one way to go about it.

From the 25 readers who answered our survey, 72 percent (18 out of 25) found their job in Denmark within six months. 28 percent (seven out of 25), even found a job in a month or under. However for 20 percent of readers surveyed (five out of 25), it took one to two years to find a job.

It is clear that only applying to job ads won’t necessarily land you a job in Denmark.

Sarah said, “I printed out a bunch of CVs and went around distributing them” and she got her job as a sales assistant within weeks. Another reader sent out their CV and then visited the companies in person.

Just 16 percent of readers surveyed got their roles through a job advert. 40 percent of readers got their job through LinkedIn, with 16 percent of them using networking as well. 12 percent got their job through networking alone, 12 percent through unsolicited applications and 16 percent through recommendations. One person set up their own company.

None of the readers in the survey needed Danish for their job but one said a level of understanding Danish was expected.

READ ALSO: Ten ways to improve your chances of finding a job in Denmark

Maria from Bulgaria, who has lived in Denmark for seven years said the job-searching process was “difficult but not impossible. Start small and with time and patience your profile will be more attractive to HR professionals and head hunters,” she said. It took her five months to get her product manager role.

Laura from Spain found job-searching “difficult, daunting, very dependent on your network or a stroke of luck.” It took her two years to get her job as a process engineer. “Invest time and energy in building a big network – through school events, fb [Facebook] groups, hobbies, parental leave activities, etc” she advised.

Barbora from the Czech Republic, who took 10 months to get her job as a finance controller said the job-searching process “can be lengthy and frustrating” but encouraged people to, “stay positive, keep trying and don’t take rejections or no replies personally.”

It took Laura from Latvia six months to get her job as a shop assistant. She said: “Don’t give up, and don’t be afraid to look below your abilities, as sad as that sounds. Network and meet people, because most of my jobs have been through a connection. But do show your human side and present as a person first.”

READ ALSO: Five tips for writing an effective Danish CV

Rovshen from Turkmenistan acknowledged that “searching for job in Denmark can be really stressful, especially if you are a non-EU citizen…Expect to spend an average of six months job searching, build your network, do not hesitate to ask your current and previous colleagues to help you find a job.”

Russell from the USA, who got his Procurement Project Controller role in two months, suggested spending time on each application. “Do some research on CVs and cover letters in Denmark. Update your CV to the Danish “style”. Tailor your CV and cover letter to each specific job. It shows that you are more serious about the job and pay attention to the details,” he said.

Sarah, who handed out her CVs to get her job, advised, “Be proactive and show up to places where you would like to work. Look outside your comfort zone, learn basic Danish.”

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