-
![eine Frau bindet einen Strauß in einem Blumengeschäft]()
Despite difficult initial conditions, the integration and participation of refugees in Germany is making progress
Refugees in Germany come from very different countries of origin and have fled to Germany for a wide variety of reasons. However, they have one thing in common: In most cases, they cannot prepare for long to leave their home country. Often, the refugees do not actually want to leave their home country or do not know in which country they will arrive after fleeing. As a result, the refugees often lack German language skills when they arrive in Germany, have few networks or have had to leave parts of their family behind in their home country. Among other things, all of this influences the chances of integration, for example into the labor market.
Despite all these conditions, the integration and participation of refugees often develops positively in the years following their arrival in Germany. With increasing length of stay, German language skills and participation in the labor market also increase. Many decide to make a new start in their careers and begin new training programs or change professions.
n the 17th Media Forum Migration of SWR aktuell, Esther Saoub, Richard Arnold, Mirzeta Haug, Khalil Khalil and Dr. Yuliya Kosyakova from the Institute for Employment Research (IAB) discuss developments in the integration and participation of refugees. In addition to the personal experiences of the participants in the discussion, the data from the study “Living in Germany” will also play an important role.
Further information
SWR: Wohnung, Arbeit, Bildung und …? Partizipation von Geflüchteten
-
![Woman with toddler]()
Parental leave increases children’s well-being over the long term
In early May 1986, the East German government introduced a policy reform that some people are still benefiting from today. Both mothers and fathers were allowed to take twelve months of paid parental leave from the date of their child’s birth. Previously, most parents had to return to work when their children were five months old, which meant that the children were placed in daycare.
According to a study by researchers at the ifo institute based on data from the study “Living in Germany”, the effects of the reform are evident in the children, who are now in their early to mid-thirties. the effects of the reform are evident in the children, who are now in their early to mid-thirties.
Children who spent their first year of life exclusively in the care of their own parents are eight percentage points more satisfied today than those who were sent to daycare at the age of five months.
Further information
ifo Dresden: Longer paid parental leave makes children happier later on
Photo by Andriyko Podilnyk on Unsplash…
-
![Educator sits in hallway of a daycare center]()
Overworked and undervalued
Pre-school educators are essential, not just for families but for society as a whole, as almost everyone would agree. Nevertheless, pre-school educators still contend with difficult working conditions.
According to a new study based on data from “Living in Germany”, 80 percent of pre-school educators feel they are underpaid. But it’s not just this feeling that creates stress: About 75 percent also report high time pressures and a heavy workload. Many also rate their chances of promotion as poor. In addition, around 70 percent complain about a lack of recognition from their superiors.
“During the Corona pandemic, the stresses on educators have increased even further,” says DIW education expert Katharina Spieß, who conducted the study together with her colleague Ludovica Gambaro. Given that increasing numbers of parents were able to place their children in emergency daycare over the course of the pandemic, pre-school educators were responsible for approximately the same number of children during the pandemic as they were under normal conditions. Simultaneously, educators had the added burden of following hygiene regulations. The stress was compounded by worries about their own health.
Further information
RND (RedaktionsNetzwerk Deutschland): 80 Prozent der Erzieherinnen finden ihr Gehalt zu gering
-
![young men with mask]()
Pandemic Job Loss Higher Among Refugees
Immigrants often hold temporary jobs in sectors like food service and hospitality, and many had only been working for a short time when the pandemic hit. As a result, immigrants were 2.5 times more likely than other workers to lose their jobs during COVID-19. Pandemic job loss was even higher among refugees. Researchers at the Institute for Employment Research (IAB) produced these insights into the employment effects of the pandemic based on data from the study “Living in Germany.”
One reason for the higher job loss among refugees lies in the different types of work that immigrants and non-immigrants do. Immigrants, and refugees in particular, often have jobs that cannot be done from home. According to study results, only three percent of refugees were able to work from home during the pandemic.
Photo by Thirdman von Pexels…
-
![Coin Stack]()
How has the pandemic affected household income?
The income gap between high and low-income households has narrowed over the course of the pandemic. But this is not because things have improved for people on the lower end of the income distribution, as one would have hoped. Instead it is because self-employed people, who are usually among the better-off, have suffered in the wake of measures to combat the virus. The resulting narrowing of the income gap is therefore bad news rather than good.
“If the pandemic drags on well into this year, and if measures to contain it are tightened again, this could bring about rising bankruptcy and unemployment,” says SOEP expert Markus Grabka, who conducted the study.
His analyses show that monthly net household incomes of the self-employed fell by an average of 16 percent, or 460 euros, during the second lockdown compared with 2019. In contrast, salaried employees and civil servants saw a 5 percent increase in household income in nominal terms. In the remaining households, there was no change in income on average.
Further information
DIW Berlin: Corona pandemic reduces income inequality
-
![Dentist]()
Job search—with obstacles
Five years after arriving in Germany, 28 percent of female refugees and 60 percent of male refugees were employed.
One key reason for this gap is that in many cases, refugee women worked in sectors such as education and health in their counties of origin. Qualifications earned in these sectors are often not recognized in Germany.
Another factor are qualifications gained in Germany. Refugee women attend language and integration courses and employment counseling at a later point in time than refugee men. These courses and services play an important role in finding a job in Germany.
The task of caring for children and being gainfully employed poses an additional challenge for refugee women who arrived in Germany in recent years.
The researchers at IAB and BIM emphasize that tailoring policy measures to the specific needs of refugee women could help to promote their integration into the German labor market. The expansion of childcare services, for instance, could benefit them and non-refugee women as well.
Further information
MIGAZIN: Refugee women must overcome many obstacles for labor market integration
Foto von Evelina Zhu von Pexels…
-
![sleeping woman with glasses]()
How are people doing in the pandemic?
Over the course of the Corona pandemic, people have become less satisfied overall. Leisure activities and family life are a source of frustration for many.
The good news is that for many people, satisfaction in certain areas of life has increased during the pandemic. Many adults rate both their health and their sleep as significantly better than before.According to SOEP director Stefan Liebig, “When faced with the threat of the pandemic, you can disregard the little twinge in your back.” He also offers an explanation for the increase in satisfaction with sleep: “Working from home eliminates the need for long commutes to work.” These are just some of the results of an additional telephone survey of more than 12,000 “Living in Germany” respondents on the topic of life during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Further information
Berliner Zeitung: Wie geht es uns in der Pandemie?
Photo by Isabella and Zsa Fischer on Unsplash…
-
![two women talking]()
Increasing German Language Proficiency and Closer Social Relationships with Germans
Results from a study based on data from “Living in Germany” show steady improvement in German language skills among refugees who arrived in Germany between 2013 and 2016. As of 2019, five out of 10 refugees rated their German skills as “good” to “very good”. The study was carried out by researchers Wenke Niehues, Nina Rother, and Manuel Siegert from the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF). Results also show that refugees are spending increasing amounts of time with Germans, especially in work and educational settings.
However, older refugees, refugees with poorer German skills, and refugee women with small children need more time to build social relationships with Germans. They also run the risk of falling behind in the development of language skills and social contact.
Study results also indicate that refugees’ social contact decreased again during the pandemic, and that many refugees’ language skills may have plateaued or declined.
Further information
BAMF: Bessere Deutschkenntnisse und mehr soziale Kontakte bei Geflüchteten
Photo by Amy Hirschi on Unsplash…
-
![older woman (PoC) smiles and holds a cup]()
Older refugees in Germany
The large majority of refugees who have come to Germany in recent years are relatively young. Only about 12 percent of all refugees living in Germany are 45 or older. These individuals face particular challenges. Compared to younger refugees, they often find it more difficult to learn German, find a job, and make friends in Germany. These are among the findings from a study conducted by the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF) based on data from “Living in Germany.”
Many older refugees are worried about their application for asylum (52%), about not being able to stay in Germany (66%), and about having to return to their country of origin (73%). They also worry about their financial situation and health.
And yet, all in all, older refugees are approximately as satisfied with their lives as younger refugees are. The author of the study, Amrei Maddox, suspects that one reason for this is the older generation’s stronger family ties: Most older refugees live with family members.
Further information
BAMF: Older refugees in Germany
BAMF: Living situations of older refugees in Germany
Photo by Mehmet Turgut Kirkgoz on Unsplash…
-
![Jogger on beach]()
People want to work less
People in Germany would prefer to work less, even if it meant earning less. On average, men would prefer to work just 36 hours per week, as compared to 39 hours in 2007. Women would also like to work less: Recent data show that they would prefer to work 29.5 hours per week.
A comparison of men’s and women’s preferred working hours shows a convergence in preferences over time. In 2000, women wanted to work nine hours less than men, and now just six and a half hours less.
In the early aughts, people’s preferred number of working hours was still rising. This changed after Germany overcame a phase of major unemployment. These findings from the study “Living in Germany” were published in an article in the Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung.
Further information
Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung: Deutsche wollen immer weniger arbeiten
-
![]()
Refugees’ mental health is suffering during the pandemic
The pandemic has exacerbated feelings of loneliness in many people. Since the pandemic, the non-migrant population reports levels of loneliness that are as high as those reported by refugees for a number of years previous to the pandemic. of years previous to the pandemic.“
The study also shows that refugees continue to experience more psychological problems, such as depression and anxiety, than non-migrants.
The reason is suspected to lie in a lack of social participation, since those who have a job are less lonely. Even having better German language skills or a higher household income alleviates feelings of loneliness in refugees.
Based on these findings, the research team has called for better language-learning programs and improved access to the labor market for refugees.
Further information
-
![young women of different nationalities]()
Immigrants are becoming better integrated into German society
Germany has made significant progress in refugee integration over recent years—in terms of employment, social integration, and political participation. In 2018, half of all first-generation immigrants and three-quarters of all second-generation immigrants considered themselves German. In the same year, 56 percent of first-generation immigrants and 77 percent of second-generation immigrants had a primarily non-immigrant circle of friends. These findings by the German Economic Institute were the result of a study based on data from “Living in Germany.” Second-generation immigrants from the new EU member states are almost completely integrated into German society.
Further information
Institut der deutschen Wirtschaft: Integration: Deutschland ist auf einem guten Weg
Photo by Joel Muniz on Unsplash…
-
![Interviewer questioning senior citizen]()
How rich are you?
How rich are you compared to others? With an interactive calculator based on the study “Living in Germany,” you can find out where you lie in the income distribution in Germany, and how much of the population is better or worse off than you. The calculator takes into account income, assets, but also your housing situation. The interactive calculator on ZEIT online was developed by a research team led by Bremen sociologist Olaf Groh-Samberg.
-
![Boy and girl at one table]()
Educated parents, healthy children
Parental education has an effect not only on children’s education, career choices, and income, but also on children’s physical health—even decades after they have left home. These findings are the result of a study based on “Living in Germany” that was conducted by a research team in Halle. As far as children’s mental health is concerned, parental education appears to be less decisive.
-
![Man in a closed restaurant]()
Mini-job holders are among the biggest losers in the corona crisis
The corona crisis has had significant impacts on workers in mini-jobs. In June 2020, for instance, regular employment fell by just 0.2 percent, while mini-jobs fell by 12 percent. Women were hit particularly hard by these job losses. An article published by Spiegel online presented research findings based on data from “Living in Germany.” “A reform of the mini-job sector is long overdue,” says study author Markus Grabka, one of the researchers on the SOEP team at DIW Berlin.
Further information
Der Spiegel: Minijobberinnen in der Pandemie, Von 450 Euro auf null
DIW Berlin: Beschäftige in Minijobs sind VerliererInnen der coronabedingten Rezession
-
![Mother sits on sofa with two toddlers]()
Progress in the social integration of refugees
Five years after Merkel’s famous words “We can do this,” there is clear evidence that refugees have been integrated successfully into many areas of German society. A good four out of ten people who arrived in Germany as refugees have found a job. Children and young people feel well integrated into their schools. At the same time, the proportion of the broader population that reports being “very worried” about immigration has declined. These findings from a study based on data from “Living in Germany” are summarized in a video by economist Katharina Spieß of DIW Berlin.
Further information
-
![Mother sits on sofa with two toddlers]()
Childcare during the pandemic: Mothers are doing more, but fathers are catching up
After schools and daycare centers closed for lockdown, many parents had to care for their younger children and help older children with schoolwork while also working from home. A study based on data from “Living in Germany” found that during lockdown, mothers spent more time on childcare than fathers: On weekdays, mothers spent an average of 9.6 hours and fathers 5.3 hours taking care of children under the age of 11. Nevertheless, men were more involved than before the pandemic: They spent on average of 89 percent more time on childcare than in the previous year. Most parents found homeschooling tolerable, but single parents and less educated parents felt they did not receive enough support from their children’s schools. To read the study by SOEP researcher Sabine Zinn, click here.
Further information
DIW Berlin: Kinderbetreuung in Corona-Zeiten: Mütter tragen die Hauptlast, aber Väter holen auf
-
![elderly woman sitting on bench]()
Corona has made people lonelier
During the pandemic, participants in “Living in Germany” felt approximately as satisfied with their lives as in previous years, and also did not suffer more from anxiety or depression. Yet loneliness increased significantly when measured in terms of the difference between desired and existing social relationships— and this was particularly the case among women and young people. Why is that? SOEP researcher and study author Theresa Entringer suspects that many young people saw their friends and acquaintances much more before the pandemic. Older people, on the other hand, are generally more focused on their spouse or partner and family and were able to maintain these social relationships during the pandemic.
Further information
DIW Berlin: Einsam, aber resilient – Die Menschen haben den Lockdown besser verkraftet als vermutet
-
![two men in conversation]()
Mentoring programs between refugees and local residents In recent years, many people have worked to help refugees find their place in German society.
Numerous integration projects were launched in a short period of time. Numerous integration projects were launched in a short period of time. Some of these were mentoring programs, which bring locals together with refugees to help them in dealing with bureaucratic formalities, hunting for apartments, and finding apprenticeships and jobs. To find out how successful these programs have been, sociologist Magdalena Krieger took a closer look at their outcomes using data from the survey “Living in Germany.”
She found that mentoring programs have helped refugees make substantial progress in improving their language skills. Refugees who have participated in these programs are also more likely to participate in social life—they go out to eat, to the movies, and to the gym more often. Magdalena Krieger expects these activities to have other positive effects, given that language skills and social activities may act as stepping stones to education and work.
The mentors surveyed also reported benefiting from their interaction with the refugees. A large percentage considered the refugees their friends and planned to continue helping refugees in the future.
Further information
Deutschlandfunk: Kaum Effekte auf Bildung und Erwerbstätigkeit
LinkedIn Sales Solutions on Unsplash…
Loading posts...
