EU Immigrant Employment Hits Record High in 2025 – Non-EU Workers Narrow Gap with Native-Born Population

EU immigrant employment hits record 68.2% in 2025.

BRUSSELS — July 25, 2026 — Immigrant employment in the European Union rose to a record high in 2025, narrowing the gap with workers born in the country but leaving significant labour potential untapped, according to a report from the ROCKWOOL Foundation Berlin

The employment rate among immigrants increased to 68.2% in 2025, up from 67.8% in 2024, according to the study by the Centre for Research and Analysis of Migration (CReAM) at RFBerlin, based on Eurostat data.

Key Findings at a Glance

Metric	2024	2025	Change
Total Immigrant Employment Rate	67.8%	68.2%	+0.4%
Non-EU Immigrant Employment Rate	—	66.0%	+6.6pp (since 2017)
EU Immigrant Employment Rate	—	74.8%	+3.7pp (since 2017)
Native-Born Employment Rate	—	71.6%	+4.4pp (since 2017)

Source: CReAM/RFBerlin study based on Eurostat data

The Big Picture: Record High Employment

"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 employment rate among immigrants has been rising steadily for years, with the gap between immigrants and native-born workers narrowing significantly.

Key Drivers

• Labour shortages across the EU in sectors such as healthcare, IT, construction, and hospitality

• Increased integration of immigrant populations

• Favourable labour market conditions in many EU countries

Non-EU Immigrants: The Biggest Improvement

The most significant improvement was among non-EU immigrants:

Group	2017 Employment Rate	2025 Employment Rate	Change
Non-EU Immigrants	59.4%	66.0%	+6.6pp
EU Immigrants	71.1%	74.8%	+3.7pp
Native-Born	67.2%	71.6%	+4.4pp

The employment rate among non-EU immigrants increased by 6.6 percentage points from 2017 to 2025, climbing from 59.4% to 66.0% and narrowing the gap with the native-born population.

Country-by-Country Variations

Highest Non-EU Immigrant Employment

Country	Employment Rate
Malta	Highest
Czech Republic	High
Ireland	High

Lowest Non-EU Immigrant Employment

Country	Employment Rate
Belgium	Low
Finland	Low

The outcomes vary widely across EU member states, reflecting differences in labour market integration, language barriers, and policy frameworks.

Why This Matters

For the EU Economy

Impact	Details
Labour Market Strength	Immigrants are contributing significantly to EU labour markets
Untapped Potential	Significant labour potential remains untapped
Demographic Challenges	Immigrant labour is helping offset population ageing

For Policy Makers

• Integration policies can be improved to close remaining gaps

• Skills recognition and language training are critical

• Labour market access for immigrants can be facilitated

For Immigrant Workers

• Employment opportunities are improving across the EU

• Non-EU immigrants have seen the biggest gains

• Country-specific factors affect outcomes

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