EU Immigrant Employment Reaches Record High in 2025

The ROCKWOOL Foundation Berlin (RFBerlin) report, seen by Reuters, shows the overall employment rate for immigrants in the European Union rose to 68.2 % in 2025, up from 67.8 % in 2024. The study, conducted by the Centre for Research and Analysis of Migration (CReAM) and based on Eurostat data, notes that the gap between immigrant and native-born workers has narrowed. The analysis covered all EU member states using Eurostat labour-force data. The report also highlights untapped potential among women and highly educated migrants. The findings were reported on July 23.

Immigrant employment in the EU reaches record high: Report The Straits Times

Non-EU immigrants recorded the largest gain, climbing from 59.4 % in 2017 to 66 % in 2025—a 6.6-percentage-point increase. EU-origin immigrants rose from 71.1 % to 74.8 % over the same period. Employment among those working in their country of birth improved from 67.2 % to 71.6 % across the same time period. The report highlights strong performance in Malta, the Czech Republic and Ireland, while Belgium and Finland lag behind. In Germany, immigrant employment stands at 66.1 % compared with 79.6 % for native workers. Overall, the immigrant employment rate of 68.2 % is now within a few percentage points of the native-born employment rate in several large economies.

Immigrant employment in the EU reaches record high: Report The Straits Times

The analysis identifies two persistent gaps: lower participation among non-EU women and under-utilisation of highly educated migrants. The authors argue that the policy focus must shift from merely securing jobs to fully leveraging migrants’ skills.

Immigrant employment in the EU reaches record high: Report

Tommaso Frattini, deputy director of CReAM, emphasizes the long-term upward trend, while Christian Dustmann, director of RFBerlin, stresses the need for skill utilisation. Both officials frame the record rate as a step forward but caution that untapped potential remains.

The Straits Times

• “The proportion of immigrants in employment has been rising for many years, and the figures are close to that of the native population,” — Tommaso Frattini, deputy director of CReAM

The Straits Times

• “The challenge today is no longer simply getting immigrants into work but ensuring that their skills are fully utilised,” — Christian Dustmann, director of RFBerlin

Immigrant employment in the EU reaches record high: Report