From Protection to Profession: EUCFI and AMS Vienna Support Ukrainian Job Seekers

On 23 June 2026, the European Centre for Freedom and Independence (EUCFI), together with the Public Employment Service Vienna (AMS Wien), welcomed displaced Ukrainian professionals to an information session dedicated to one of the most pressing questions facing our community: how to build a career in Austria.

Held at the AMS regional office on Ungargasse and led by AMS expert Milica Tomic-Schwingenschlögl, the session gave participants a clear, practical overview of how Austria's employment service works — from registering as a job seeker and accessing training and qualification programmes, to gaining local work experience, preparing a competitive application, and tapping into the many specialised support services available across the city. Rather than dwelling on procedure, the message was one of orientation and encouragement: the pathways into the Austrian labour market exist, and with the right guidance they can be navigated.

Why this matters for Vienna's Ukrainian community

Vienna is home to the largest community of displaced Ukrainians in Austria. According to the Austrian Integration Fund (ÖIF), around 88,000 Ukrainian nationals were living in Austria at the start of 2025 — a six-fold increase compared with the period before the full-scale war — and close to 45 percent of them, almost 40,000 people, have made Vienna their home.

This is a community defined by remarkable human capital. ÖIF data show that roughly three in four displaced Ukrainians hold a higher-education degree, and the overwhelming majority want to have their qualifications recognised and put to use. Yet that potential is far from fully realised. At the end of 2024, unemployment among Ukrainians in Austria stood at 16.9 percent — more than double the national average of 7.0 percent — and it was higher still among Ukrainian women, at 17.6 percent.

The gap between qualification and employment is not unique to Austria. Across Europe, recent UNHCR research found that while well over half of working-age Ukrainian refugees are now in work, nearly 60 percent of those employed are in roles below their skill level. Closing that gap — turning protection into meaningful profession — is precisely the work EUCFI exists to do.

EUCFI's commitment

For EUCFI, sessions like this one are part of a broader mission: to support the professional integration of displaced Ukrainians and to help bridge human capital between Ukraine and the European Union. Information is the first step. Understanding how the system works, what support is available, and where to turn for help transforms uncertainty into action.

We are grateful to AMS Wien and to Milica Tomic-Schwingenschlögl for a generous and informative session, and to everyone who joined us. This is one in an ongoing series of initiatives through which EUCFI accompanies Ukrainian professionals — and especially Ukrainian women — on the path from arrival to full participation in Austrian working life.

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