Quickly integrate persons entitled to asylum into the labor market

Whether the latest influx of refugees will lead to a burden or relief for the state budget depends crucially on how well they integrate into the labor market. The educational structure of the refugees, which has so far been below average, poses a challenge here. "Asylum is primarily a humanitarian and not an economic issue. Nevertheless, the economic and budgetary effects should be considered from the outset," said Johannes Berger, Head of the Labor Market and Social Security Research Unit at EcoAustria at an event organized by the Upper Austrian Chamber of Commerce and WIFI Upper Austria in Linz. "If integration into the labor market is successful, the economic and budgetary effects improve significantly. Therefore, activation and integration measures for asylum seekers and those entitled to asylum with a high probability of remaining should start early. Regional labor market opportunities should also be taken into account when distributing refugees, says Berger.