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SoKo analysis for 2017 ,
In addition to the asylum business statistics, Brief Analysis 3/2018 also analyses data relating to the "social component" (so-called "SoKo" data) and presents findings on the social structure (gender, age, marital status), school attendance as well as the last occupation held in the countries of origin of asylum applicants of legal age in 2017. As such, it updates the findings of BAMF Brief Analysis 3/2017.
Participation in the labour market constitutes one of the most important aspects of integration. Background information on the level of qualification of asylum applicants in Germany is extremely important in order to assess potentials purposefully as well as their needs and to plan corresponding support measures.
Key findings
The current BAMF Brief Analysis shows which type of school the interviewees attended in their country of origin and which patterns emerge between schooling and the areas of employment taken up in the country of origin.
Most of the asylum applicants of legal age in 2017 came from Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan and were aged between 18 and 29; half of them were single and 64 per cent were male. The share of women fell by 5 percentage points in comparison to 2016. A notable aspect is the markedly more even gender split among Syrian, Iraqi and Iranian applicants.
33 per cent of respondents cited a secondary school as the highest level of educational establishment attended, while high school and elementary school were each cited by 19 per cent. 17 per cent had attended an institution of higher education and 12 per cent had no formal school education. Furthermore, women tend to go to school less frequently than men.
One third of the asylum applicants of legal age had not been in paid employment at the time of leaving their country of origin. Around one in thirteen asylum applicants in 2017 had most recently worked in the trades in their country of origin. As such, this was the most important employment sector, followed by auxiliary work and services.
On average, those applicants whose most recently pursued occupation fell under the category of "Teaching professions" had the highest level of education. Applicants who were most recently employed in agriculture or as auxiliary workers had the lowest standard of education.
Collection of the data
In connection with submission of the initial asylum application, the Federal Office obtains master data such as gender, age and marital status with the aid of an interpreter and, on a voluntary basis, information on school education and the most recent occupation. Around three quarters of all asylum applicants of legal age answered the questions regarding their qualifications in 2017. Although this constitutes voluntary information for which no proof is required and school and occupational systems in different countries of origin are difficult to compare with those in Germany, the "social component" data nevertheless provide an initial insight into the refugees' qualification structures.
Author of the Brief Analysis: Hans-Jürgen Schmidt
The Brief Analysis is only available in German.