So far, around 2,400 war refugees from Ukraine have found jobs in Lithuania. Overall, nearly 40,400 people who have fled Ukraine since the start of Russia’s invasion have been registered in the country.
According to the Employment Service, a total of 7,066 Ukrainians are currently registered as job seekers.
Those who have found jobs are employed in manufacturing, transport and storage, accommodation and food services, as well as wholesale and retail. Some of the employed Ukrainians also work as IT specialists, teachers, nurses and dental assistants, according to the service.
Their salaries range from the minimum wage, 730 euros per month before tax, to 2,000 euros, according to the Employment Service.
“Ukrainians also want to work as medical workers, teachers, accountants, sales officers, lawyers, administrators, cooks, tailors, salespeople, etc. These are their predominant job preferences,” it said.
“A number of Ukrainians who worked as accountants in their home country took cleaning jobs in Lithuania,” it said, noting that most Ukrainians wanted to be employed as soon as possible and took any jobs they were offered.
“Companies offering unskilled jobs are willing to pay up to 900 euros on average. In skilled positions, salaries are of course higher. The highest are around 4,000 euros,” according to the Employment Serivice.
Employers register job vacancies for all jobseekers with the Employment Service, but they are only given the option to indicate that they would be willing to hire a Ukrainian, according to the service.
“This is a kind of prevention of wage discrimination,” it said.
Most of the Ukrainian refugees have so far been hired in Vilnius, Kaunas, Klaipeda and other major cities and towns, as well as in the resort towns of Druskininkai and Palanga.
Ukrainian refugees do not need work permits in Lithuania.
Ukrainians are not eligible to unemployment insurance benefits, but they may claim one-off or monthly allowances from municipal authorities.
Some 40,400 war refugees from Ukraine have been registered in Lithuania, mostly women and children, according to the latest official statistics. Of the total number of war refugees registered so far, 4,600 are children under the age of six and over 12,400 are minors aged between six and 18. More than 1,700 people are aged over 65.
According to the United Nations, around 4.2 million people have fed Ukraine since Russia’s invasion on February 24. (LRT/Business World Magazine)