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SoKo analysis for the first half of 2017 ,
The now ninth edition of the BAMF's Brief analyses evaluates the data on the social components of adult asylum applicants in the first half of 2017 and provides information on their social structure, school attendance, employment and language knowledge.
Participation in the labour market is one of the most important aspects of integration. Background information on the level of qualifications of asylum applicants in Germany is vital in order to be able to targetedly assess the potential as well as the needs and corresponding planning for promotional measures.
Brief analysis 3/2017 evaluates both the data from the Business Statistics on Asylum and the data on the "Social Component" ("SoKo" data), and provides information regarding the social structure (gender, age, civil status and native language), as well as on schooling and on the occupation most recently exercised in their countries of origin by first-time adult asylum applicants in the first half of 2017. In this sense, it constitutes an update of the results of the BAMF’s Brief analysis 2/2017.
New findings
The BAMF’s ninth Brief analysis demonstrates what kind of school respondents attended in their countries of origin and what patterns emerge between school attendance and the work activities in which they engaged in their countries of origin.
Most adult asylum applicants in the first half of 2017 came from Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan, and were aged between 18 and 29; half of them were single, and 66 percent were men. The share of women has risen by 3 percentage points as against 2016. It is worth noting that the gender distribution has become much more even in a year-on-year comparison among Syrian and Iraqi applicants. In contrast, the share of women among Afghan applicants has fallen somewhat further.
34 percent of the respondents stated that the highest educational facility which they had attended was a "middle school". This was followed by grammar school and elementary school, at almost 20 percent for each. 16 percent had attended some form of high school, and 12 percent had had no formal schooling. The women had received less schooling than the men.
Roughly one first-time asylum applicant in twelve in the first half of 2017 had most recently worked in the craft trade sector in their country of origin. This made it the most important sector of activity, followed by ancillary activities and services.
The highest average level of education had been achieved by applicants whose most recent activity had been in the category "Teaching professions". The lowest level of education had been enjoyed by those applicants who had been most recently engaged in farming or as ancillary workers.
Collecting the data
With the aid of an interpreter, the Federal Office collects both the basic data during the application procedure such as gender, age, civil status and native language, as well as data on schooling and on the occupation most recently exercised, the latter on a voluntary basis. Roughly three-quarters of all adult asylum applicants answered the questions on their qualifications in the first half of 2017. Although the information is provided voluntarily, and no documentation therefore needs to be provided, as well as given the fact that it is difficult to compare the school and occupation systems of the various countries of origin with the respective German systems, the "SoKo" data nonetheless provide a first insight into the qualification structure of displaced persons.
The Brief analysis was drawn up by: Dr. Matthias Neske
The Brief analysis is only available in German.