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Contents
In brief
- 3
In brief
The world
- 4
304 million people live outside their country of birth
- 5
Where people born in one region live, 2024
- 6
Migrants in the labour force by region, 2022
Europe
- 7
First residence permits for work in the EU, 2015 to 2025
- 8
Ways into work in the EU, 2025
- 9
Who receives the permits, 2019 and 2025
- 10
Permits by region of citizenship, 2019 to 2025
- 11
Permits by destination, 2025
- 12
Shortage occupations reported in Europe, 2025
- 13
Work permits by occupation group, 2025
Outside the EU
- 14
Employment of foreign nationals and visas outside the EU
- 15
Departures for work registered by origin governments
Rules and costs
- 16
Where entry rules eased and where they tightened
- 17
What the law asks of an employer, by destination
- 18
What the law asks of an intermediary, by destination
- 19
Monthly minimum wages, destinations and origins, 2025
- 20
What recruitment costs the worker, in months of earnings
The market
- 21
What is counted as the market
- 22
From first residence permits for work to placements, 2025
- 23
The inputs, their grades and what moves the result
- 24
Checks on the estimate against registers and censuses
- 25
Employment agencies and state hiring channels in Europe
The outlook
- 26
People aged 20 to 64: world regions and EU members
- 27
Permits to employ foreigners in Ukraine, and a scenario
- 28
Decisions due between October 2026 and March 2029
About and method
- 29
About Werklist and this report
- 30
How to read this report
- 31
Sources and flags
- 32
Sources and flags, continued
In brief
- 1
In mid 2024, 304.0 million people lived outside their country of birth, 3.7 percent of the world's population.
- 2
The International Labour Organization estimates 167.7 million migrants in the labour force in 2022, 4.7 percent of the world's labour force.
- 3
EU members issued 1,295,687 first residence permits for work in 2025.
- 4
Without citizens of Ukraine and without Portugal, they issued 841,188 in 2025, against 842,433 in 2024.
- 5
On that basis, citizens of Belarus received the most first residence permits for work, 83,349, followed by citizens of India and Nepal.
- 6
From 4 June 2024 Portugal stopped taking residence applications from foreign nationals already in the country without a work visa. From 6 June 2026 Hungary took no new applications for its guest worker permit.
- 7
In 2025, 22 of the 28 countries reporting to the European Labour Authority named welders and flame cutters a shortage occupation. The EU job vacancy rate was 2.1 percent, against 3.0 percent in 2022.
- 8
No official statistic measures the market for international hiring. Werklist estimate: 583,000 to 769,000 EU first residence permits for work of 2025 were for blue collar work, without Ukraine's citizens, Portugal at its 2024 level.
- 9
On Eurostat's baseline projection, the EU will have 12.6 million fewer residents of working age in 2041 than in 2026. Working age is 20 to 64 in this report.
Sources: Eurostat, migr_resfirst, migr_resocc (updated 11 September 2026), jvs_a_rate_r2 (updated 20 March 2026) and proj_25np (EUROPOP2025, updated 11 June 2026); United Nations, International Migrant Stock 2024 (table by destination, updated 7 February 2025); International Labour Organization, fourth edition of the global estimates (December 2024); European Labour Authority, report on labour shortages and surpluses 2025 (published 8 June 2026); Diário da República, Decree-Law 37-A/2024 (Portugal, applying from 4 June 2024); Magyar Közlöny, Government Decree 92/2026 (Hungary, applying from 6 June 2026); Werklist estimate, method on pages 21, 22, 23 and 24. Retrieved 27 September 2026; the Swedish work permit rules, Swedish Migration Agency, retrieved 28 September 2026.
First residence permits for work issued in the EU in 2025
1,079,047 without citizens of Ukraine; 841,188 also without Portugal, against 842,433 in 2024.
First residence permits for blue collar work in the EU in 2025, citizens of Ukraine left out, Portugal at its 2024 level
The range runs from the low to the high share for blue collar work.
Destinations in the grid of page 16 that tightened their rules for hiring from outside the EU, January 2024 to September 2026
Sweden, outside the grid, also tightened in June 2026.
304 million people live outside their country of birth
People living outside their country of birth, 1990 to 2024
People living outside their country of birth were 3.7 percent of the world's population in mid 2024, against 2.9 percent in 1990.
Source: United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division, International Migrant Stock 2024 (POP/DB/MIG/Stock/Rev.2024), table by destination, mid year estimates 1990 to 2024, updated 7 February 2025, CC BY 3.0 IGO, retrieved 27 September 2026. People are counted on pages 4, 5 and 6 and in rows labelled as people; every other count is a permit, a visa, a status or an approval.
The United Nations counts everyone living outside their country of birth, for any reason: 304.0 million people in mid 2024, against 153.9 million in 1990. Of them, 51.7 million had been forcibly displaced across borders, so the count is not a count of migration for work.
Refugees are part of this count
Refugees, asylum seekers and other people in need of international protection made up 51.7 million of the 304.0 million in mid 2024, in the United Nations' key facts of January 2025. The number is a stock at a date, not a yearly flow.
Source: United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, International Migrant Stock 2024: Key facts and figures, January 2025. Retrieved 27 September 2026.
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Reports10.1 percent of all migrants lived in Gulf states in 2024
People living in a region other than their region of birth, mid 2024
In mid 2024, 27.4 million people born in Latin America and the Caribbean lived in Northern America. Of those born in Central and Southern Asia, 10.3 million lived in Europe and 19.5 million in Northern Africa and Western Asia, the region that includes the Gulf.
Band width: people living in a region other than their region of birth, mid 2024. A stock built up over decades, not a yearly flow. Oceania without Australia and New Zealand is too small to draw: 391,284 people born there lived in Australia and New Zealand, and 84,946 born in Eastern and South Eastern Asia lived there.
Source: United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division, International Migrant Stock 2024 (POP/DB/MIG/Stock/Rev.2024), table by destination and origin, mid year 2024, updated 27 January 2025, CC BY 3.0 IGO, retrieved 27 September 2026. Regions as defined by the United Nations. Censuses lag, so recent arrivals are missing: the table has no row for people born in Nepal living in Romania, while Eurostat counts 24,486 first residence permits for work to citizens of Nepal in Romania in 2025.
The ten largest pairs, 2024, millions
5.0 percent in 1990
Source: United Nations, International Migrant Stock 2024, table by destination and origin, updated 27 January 2025; Werklist calculation of the Gulf share. Retrieved 27 September 2026.
167.7 million migrants were in the labour force in 2022
The International Labour Organization estimates 167.7 million migrants in the labour force in 2022: 102.7 million men and 64.9 million women. In 2021, 27.6 million people of all origins were in forced labour on any given day, according to the International Labour Organization, Walk Free and the International Organization for Migration. In the publisher's words, adult migrant workers were more than three times as likely to be in forced labour as adult non migrant workers.
Migrants in the labour force, 2022, estimated
Of them in high income countries
Migrants' share of the labour force, 2022
Migrants were 4.7 percent of the world's labour force in 2022, on the Organization's estimate. Each bar is their share of that subregion's labour force, not a share of all migrants.
Sources: International Labour Organization, Global Estimates on International Migrant Workers, fourth edition, December 2024, reference year 2022, CC BY 4.0; International Labour Organization, Walk Free and International Organization for Migration, Global Estimates of Modern Slavery, September 2022, reference year 2021. Retrieved 27 September 2026. Modelled estimates, not counts.
The EU issued 1,295,687 first residence permits for work
First residence permits for work in the EU, in three parts
Without citizens of Ukraine and without Portugal, permits rose from 515,098 in 2019 to 1,000,080 in 2023, then 842,433 in 2024 (−15.8%) and 841,188 in 2025.
Source: Eurostat, migr_resfirst (first permits issued for employment, by citizenship), reference years 2015 to 2025, updated 11 September 2026, retrieved 27 September 2026. Portugal's 2025 value carries Eurostat's break flag b; Poland's 2018 value too.
EU members issued 1,295,687 first residence permits for work in 2025. This report measures growth without citizens of Ukraine and without Portugal, because neither count is comparable across years.
What a first residence permit for work is
37,253 first residence permits for work were Blue Cards
Of the 1,295,687 first residence permits for work issued in the EU in 2025, 1,166,598 were issued under employment routes other than the Blue Card, the highly skilled route and the researcher route. The other ways into work are counted apart, each in its publisher's own unit.
| Way into work | Count | Unit as the publisher counts it | Date | In the market of page 21 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| First residence permits for work, Blue Card | 37,253 | first residence permits for work | 2025 | yes |
| First residence permits for work, highly skilled | 68,197 | first residence permits for work | 2025 | yes |
| First residence permits for work, researchers | 23,639 | first residence permits for work | 2025 | no |
| First residence permits for work, other employment routes | 1,166,598 | first residence permits for work | 2025 | yes |
| Authorisations for seasonal work | 170,593 | authorisations granted, including stays under 90 days; the 24 members reporting, no EU total published | 2025 | no |
| Residence permits for employment | 6,193,012 | permits valid on 31 December | 2025 | no |
| Temporary protection, citizens of Ukraine | 4,363,130 | people; it allows work without a permit | end of July 2026 | no |
| Portable documents A1 for postings | 3,600,000 | documents; the holder's citizenship is not collected, except in  Poland: 28,071 to citizens of countries outside the EU | 2024 | no |
| Citizens of countries outside the EU employed | 12.63 million | people aged 20 to 64; 6.4% of all employed | 2025 | no |
| A change of employer inside the EU | not counted | Directive (EU) 2024/1233 | no |
Each row counts something different, in its own unit; the rows are never added.
Sources: Eurostat, migr_resocc (updated 11 September 2026), migr_ressw1_1 (updated 23 September 2026), migr_resvalid (updated 11 September 2026), migr_asytpsm (updated 24 September 2026) and lfsa_egan (updated 10 September 2026); European Commission, report on portable documents A1 issued in 2024, October 2025; Directive (EU) 2024/1233 of 24 April 2024. Retrieved 27 September 2026.
Permits to citizens of Nepal rose from 8,516 to 54,254
Leaving out citizens of Ukraine, and without Portugal, citizens of Belarus, India and Nepal received the most EU first residence permits for work in 2025. Permits to citizens of Nepal rose from 8,516 in 2019 to 54,254; the largest rise in the table, 668.6 percent, went to citizens of Uzbekistan.
| Citizenship | 2019, without Portugal | 2025, without Portugal | Share of 2025 | Change 2019 to 2025 | Share in its three largest EU destinations, 2025 | 2025 with Portugal, for reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Belarus | 40,796 | 83,349 | 9.9% | +104.3% | 97.4% | 83,574 |
 India | 46,796 | 78,483 | 9.3% | +67.7% | 47.0% | 101,573 |
 Nepal | 8,516 | 54,254 | 6.4% | +537.1% | 72.6% | 71,061 |
 The Philippines | 14,670 | 50,430 | 6.0% | +243.8% | 45.7% | 50,944 |
 Morocco | 25,332 | 37,145 | 4.4% | +46.6% | 77.8% | 42,273 |
 China | 20,319 | 32,124 | 3.8% | +58.1% | 47.4% | 32,819 |
 Colombia | 6,908 | 31,750 | 3.8% | +359.6% | 88.8% | 38,539 |
 Türkiye | 14,240 | 27,046 | 3.2% | +89.9% | 48.6% | 27,352 |
 Uzbekistan | 2,951 | 22,680 | 2.7% | +668.6% | 69.7% | 22,928 |
 Serbia | 32,913 | 20,548 | 2.4% | −37.6% | 70.2% | 20,590 |
 Bangladesh | 4,355 | 13,634 | 1.6% | +213.1% | 73.4% | 29,626 |
 Indonesia | 2,466 | 6,130 | 0.7% | +148.6% | 48.4% | 6,239 |
| All other citizenships | 294,836 | 383,615 | 45.6% | +30.1% | ||
| All citizenships but Ukraine | 515,098 | 841,188 | 100.0% | +63.3% | 1,079,047 | |
| Citizens of Ukraine, shown apart: most have held temporary protection since 2022 | 652,136 | 213,976 | 216,640 |
The order is computed over every citizenship without Portugal. Bangladesh and Indonesia rank below the ten largest and are shown for comparison; the last column is the count with Portugal, for reference. Hungary issued 12,108 of the 50,944 permits to citizens of the Philippines in 2025, counted with Portugal; its guest worker permit took no new applications from 6 June 2026.
Source: Eurostat, migr_resfirst, first permits issued for employment, by citizenship and reporting country, reference years 2019 to 2025, updated 11 September 2026, retrieved 27 September 2026. Portugal is left out of every year of the ranking; its 2025 values carry Eurostat's break flag b.
Asian citizens' permit share rose to 41.0 percent in 2025
The share of citizens of Asian countries rose in every year after 2020. The share of citizens of the Western Balkans and Türkiye fell every year, from 24.6 percent in 2019 to 12.6 percent in 2025. All shares are on the comparable basis, without citizens of Ukraine and without Portugal.
Share of EU first residence permits for work by region of citizenship, without Ukraine and Portugal
Citizens of Asian countries received 41.0 percent of EU first residence permits for work in 2025, against 30.0 percent in 2019.
Source: Eurostat, migr_resfirst, first permits issued for employment, by citizenship, EU27, reference years 2019 to 2025, updated 11 September 2026, retrieved 27 September 2026. Werklist grouping of every citizenship into regions; citizens of Ukraine and the whole of Portugal are left out of every year; permits Eurostat attributes to no citizenship are left out of the shares.
Permits per 1,000 aged 20 to 64 ran from 1.08 to 43.35
In 2025 first residence permits for work per 1,000 residents aged 20 to 64 ranged from 1.08 in Belgium to 43.35 in Malta; the EU rate was 4.93. In Croatia the rate was 21.13, and 7.5 percent of its permits were valid 12 months or more.
| Destination | 2024 | 2025 | Change | Per 1,000 aged 20 to 64 | Valid 12 months or more | Latest change to hiring from abroad |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Poland | 337,874 | 318,186 | −5.8% | 14.77 | 44.8% | Jun 2025, changed |
| without citizens of Ukraine | 152,398 | 131,243 | −13.9% | 6.09 | ||
 Portugalb | 60,553 | 240,523 | +297.2% | 38.50 | 100.0% | Oct 2025, tightened |
 Spain | 95,735 | 115,040 | +20.2% | 3.85 | 98.1% | Dec 2025, changed |
 Germany | 77,149 | 108,091 | +40.1% | 2.21 | 77.2% | Jan 2026, eased |
 Romania | 44,084 | 60,840 | +38.0% | 5.46 | 96.3% | Sep 2026, tightened |
 Italy | 39,090 | 57,362 | +46.7% | 1.67 | 62.6% | Oct 2025, changed |
 France | 58,603 | 50,848 | −13.2% | 1.33 | 70.2% | |
 Hungary | 55,706 | 48,520 | −12.9% | 8.53 | 87.5% | Jun 2026, tightened |
 Croatia | 85,574 | 47,382 | −44.6% | 21.13 | 7.5% | Jun 2026, tightened |
 Lithuania | 44,742 | 42,030 | −6.1% | 24.23 | 97.9% | Sep 2026, tightened |
 Cyprus | 21,092 | 25,168 | +19.3% | 41.53 | 81.4% | |
| Serbia | 20,636 | 23,847 | +15.6% | 6.28 | 87.0% | |
 Netherlands | 23,415 | 20,673 | −11.7% | 1.96 | 73.7% | |
 Czechia | 16,325 | 17,770 | +8.9% | 2.80 | 97.0% | Jul 2026, eased |
| without citizens of Ukraine | 14,949 | 15,491 | +3.6% | 2.44 |
| Destination | 2024 | 2025 | Change | Per 1,000 aged 20 to 64 | Valid 12 months or more | Latest change to hiring from abroad |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Ireland | 19,078 | 16,759 | −12.2% | 5.21 | 22.7% | |
 Malta | 14,596 | 16,289 | +11.6% | 43.35 | 98.6% | |
 Denmark | 15,220 | 16,149 | +6.1% | 4.67 | 78.6% | |
 Slovenia | 15,680 | 13,953 | −11.0% | 11.23 | 76.5% | May 2025, eased |
 Slovakia | 12,390 | 13,263 | +7.0% | 4.06 | 81.2% | Jul 2026, eased |
 Bulgaria | 8,653 | 12,596 | +45.6% | 3.44 | 90.4% | Jun 2025, tightened |
 Switzerland | 12,600 | 12,580 | −0.2% | 2.29 | 21.8% | |
 Greece | 22,290 | 12,046 | −46.0% | 2.00 | 100.0% | Feb 2026, eased |
 Sweden | 12,737 | 11,290 | −11.4% | 1.89 | 63.8% | Jun 2026, tightened |
 Finland | 11,332 | 9,211 | −18.7% | 2.91 | 69.0% | Jan 2026, changed |
 Norway | 7,555 | 7,992 | +5.8% | 2.43 | 47.9% | |
 Belgium | 8,290 | 7,392 | −10.8% | 1.08 | 82.3% | |
 Austria | 8,318 | 7,126 | −14.3% | 1.28 | 84.9% | |
 Latvia | 3,558 | 4,151 | +16.7% | 3.87 | 62.4% | |
 Luxembourg | 2,493 | 1,931 | −22.5% | 4.43 | 94.1% | |
 Estonia | 1,409 | 1,098 | −22.1% | 1.39 | 98.5% | Mar 2026, changed |
A rate compares countries of different size. It counts only citizens of countries outside the EU; citizens of other EU countries are not counted.
b: Eurostat's break in series. Poland and Czechia also without citizens of Ukraine, on the second line.
Last column: the latest change to hiring from abroad, as on page 17. Spain's Royal Decree 316/2026 of April 2026 concerns people already in Spain, so it is not counted there. An empty cell: no change read at the publisher for this edition.
Sources: Eurostat, migr_resfirst (first permits issued for employment, by length of validity and citizenship, updated 11 September 2026) and demo_pjangroup (residents aged 20 to 64 on 1 January, updated 25 September 2026), reference years 2024 and 2025; for the last column the laws and decrees named on page 17, dated as on page 16. Retrieved 27 September 2026; the Swedish work permit rules, Swedish Migration Agency, retrieved 28 September 2026. Werklist calculation of the rates.
24 occupations were short in over half of 28 countries
The European Labour Authority counts the occupations that the EURES offices of 28 countries report as short; it does not count vacancies. In its 2025 report, 24 occupations were reported by more than half of the countries, against 43 in the 2024 report. The EU job vacancy rate was 3.0 percent in 2022 and 2.1 percent in 2025.
| Occupation | Countries reporting a shortage, of 28 | Share of reports rated high severity |
|---|---|---|
| Specialist medical practitioners | 22 | 55% |
| Welders and flame cutters | 22 | 32% |
| Building and related electricians | 21 | 29% |
| Plumbers and pipe fitters | 20 | 35% |
| Nursing professionals | 20 | 40% |
| Sheet metal workers | 19 | 11% |
| Generalist medical practitioners | 19 | 37% |
| Heavy truck and lorry drivers | 19 | 32% |
| Bus and tram drivers | 19 | 32% |
| Health care assistants | 18 | 28% |
| Electrical mechanics and fitters | 17 | 24% |
| Butchers, fishmongers and related food preparers | 17 | 18% |
| Structural metal preparers and erectors | 17 | 18% |
| Cooks | 17 | 29% |
| Air conditioning and refrigeration mechanics | 16 | 38% |
| Carpenters and joiners | 16 | 25% |
| Motor vehicle mechanics and repairers | 16 | 44% |
| Chefs | 16 | 19% |
| Agricultural and industrial machinery mechanics and repairers | 16 | 25% |
| Electrical engineers | 16 | 38% |
| Roofers | 15 | 47% |
| Metal working machine tool setters and operators | 15 | 27% |
| Floor layers and tile setters | 15 | 13% |
| Physiotherapists | 15 | 20% |
Blue collar work: occupation groups 5 to 9 of the International Standard Classification of Occupations.
Sources: European Labour Authority, EURES report on labour shortages and surpluses 2025, Table 2, published 8 June 2026; Eurostat, jvs_a_rate_r2 (job vacancy rate, industry, construction and services, updated 20 March 2026). Retrieved 27 September 2026. Every row of its Table 2.
Machine operators held 60.3 percent of Slovak permits
Work permits by occupation group, where the destination publishes them
The Slovak and Czech bars count holders at a date; the Polish bar counts permits issued in a year.
Only major groups are published, so single trades are not separated.
Sources: Central Office of Labour, Social Affairs and Family of Slovakia, foreigners' statistics, table 4, 31 December 2025, no update date stated; Ministry of Family, Labour and Social Policy of Poland, work permits by occupation, 2025, data as of 26 January 2026; Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs of Czechia, open data on the employment of foreigners by occupation, February 2025 (months since July 2024 marked as estimates by the publisher), no update date stated. Retrieved 27 September 2026.
In Slovakia at the end of 2025, 60.3 percent of the work permits held by citizens of countries outside the EU were for plant and machine operators and assemblers. Another 12.8 percent were for craft trades.
Example: how Slovakia admits welders
A listed job skips the labour market test if under 45 percent of the employer's staff are from outside the EU. Welders are listed in six regions, Nitra among them.
The vacancy is reported on the day of the application, not 20 working days before; the labour office decides within 15 working days.
The employer books an appointment at the Slovak embassy; the police decide within 30 days for a listed job, 60 for others.
Legal deadlines, not measured times.
Sources: Acts 5/2004, 404/2011 and 128/2026 Coll. and Regulation 383/2023 Coll., slov-lex.sk, in the versions in force on 27 September 2026 (Act 128/2026 in force from 15 July 2026); shortage lists for the third quarter of 2026, upsvr.gov.sk, no update date stated. Retrieved 27 September 2026.
Non nationals held 95.8 percent of Kuwait's private jobs
In 2024 non nationals held 78.0 percent of private sector employment in Oman, 79.7 percent in Saudi Arabia and 95.8 percent in Kuwait. In Qatar they made up 99.4 percent of the private sector labour force. Elsewhere each government publishes its own measure.
| Destination | What is counted | Latest figure | Date | Latest dated change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Qatar | non nationals' share of the private sector labour force | 99.4% | 2024 | Jul 2026, Law 9 of 2026 adding article 23 bis to the Labour Law |
 Kuwait | non nationals' share of private sector employment | 95.8% | 2024 | |
 Saudi Arabia | non nationals' share of private sector employment | 79.7% | 2024 | |
 Oman | non nationals' share of private sector employment | 78.0% | 2024 | |
 The United Arab Emirates and  Bahrain | no count by sector and nationality for 2024 | |||
 Japan | foreign employees notified by employers; the largest citizenship Viet Nam, 605,906 | 2,571,037 | October 2025 | |
 Korea | Employment Permit System (E-9) quota, run by the state without private agencies | 80,000 | 2026 | Dec 2025, the quota plan of the Foreign Workforce Policy Committee |
 Singapore | Work Permit holders | 1,222,700 | December 2025 | |
 Russia | people born in Central and Southern Asia living in Russia | 2,947,228 | mid 2024 | |
 The United Kingdom | entry clearance visas for work | Jul 2025, Statement of Changes to the Immigration Rules HC 997 | ||
 Canada | new temporary worker arrivals, target of the levels plan | 230,000 | 2026 | |
 The United States | H-2A visas (agriculture) and H-2B visas | 314,000 and 136,000 | 2024 | |
 Australia | people employed through Pacific Australia Labour Mobility | 31,840 | July 2026 |
Each row counts something different; the rows are never added. An empty cell: no figure or change read at the publisher for this edition.
Sources: Gulf Labour Markets, Migration and Population programme, Gulf Research Center, from national statistics, published 22 April 2026, updated 23 April 2026; Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare of Japan, notifications of foreign employment, end of October 2025, published 30 January 2026; Ministry of Employment and Labor of Korea, Employment Permit System plan for 2026, 22 December 2025; Ministry of Manpower of Singapore, foreign workforce numbers, no update date stated; United Nations, International Migrant Stock 2024, table by destination and origin, updated 27 January 2025; Home Office of the United Kingdom, Statement of Changes HC 997, in force 22 July 2025; Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, 2026 to 2028 levels plan, published 4 November 2025; OECD, International Migration Outlook 2025, November 2025, CC BY 4.0 (the United States); Department of Employment and Workplace Relations of Australia, Pacific Australia Labour Mobility data, July 2026, no update date stated; Al Meezan, Qatar, amendment of the Labour Law of 25 July 2026. Retrieved 27 September 2026. Taiwan, Malaysia and Russia's work patents were not read at the publisher and are left out.
Philippine deployments were 2,154,773 in 2025, preliminary
The Philippines registered 2,154,773 land based deployments in 2025 (preliminary), Bangladesh 1,132,368 emigration clearances in 2025, and Nepal 505,957 new labour approvals in fiscal 2024/25. Each government counts in its own way, and each count is printed in its own words.
| Origin | Register and its unit | Latest year | Count | Renewals or rehires, counted separately | Share going to EU destinations | EU first residence permits for work, 2025, without Portugal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bangladesh | Bureau of Manpower, Employment and Training: emigration clearances | 2025 | 1,132,368 | not published | 2.0% | 13,634 |
| India | eMigrate: emigration clearances for 18 countries, none in Europe | 2025 | 449,110 | not published | none in the count | 78,483 |
| Indonesia | Ministry for the Protection of Indonesian Migrant Workers: placements | 2025 | 296,948 | not published | at least 2.2% | 6,130 |
| Nepal | Department of Foreign Employment: new labour approvals | fiscal 2024/25, mid July to mid July | 505,957 | 333,309 re-entry approvals | 10.7% | 54,254 |
| The Philippines | Department of Migrant Workers: land based deployments, preliminary | 2025 | 2,154,773 | 589,179 sea based deployments; new hires and rehires not split | 6.1% to Europe, inside and outside the EU | 50,430 |
| Uzbekistan: the Migration Agency's figures carry no reference period, so none is printed. Pakistan and Viet Nam: registers not read at the publisher for this edition. Sri Lanka: the 2025 count was read only through a relay, so it is not printed. | ||||||
The registers are not added together, and not divided by EU first residence permits for work.
Sources: Bureau of Manpower, Employment and Training, Bangladesh, emigration clearances 2025, no update date stated; Ministry of External Affairs, India, eMigrate, emigration clearances 2025, no update date stated; Ministry for the Protection of Indonesian Migrant Workers, placements 2025, no update date stated; Department of Foreign Employment, Nepal, country wise final approved lists, updated 9 November 2025; Department of Migrant Workers, the Philippines, overseas deployments 2025, updated 28 January 2026; Eurostat, migr_resfirst, 2025, updated 11 September 2026. Retrieved 27 September 2026.
7 of 16 destinations tightened hiring rules since 2024
First residence permits for work per 1,000 residents aged 20 to 64
Of the 16 destinations in the grid, 7 tightened their rules for hiring from outside the EU between January 2024 and September 2026; Sweden, outside the grid, tightened in June 2026. Croatia tightened in March 2025 and its first residence permits for work fell 44.6 percent in 2025. Bulgaria tightened in June 2025 and its permits rose 45.6 percent that year.
Sources: Eurostat, migr_resfirst (updated 11 September 2026) and demo_pjangroup (updated 25 September 2026), reference years 2015 to 2025; the official gazettes named in the list. Retrieved 27 September 2026; the Swedish work permit rules, Swedish Migration Agency, retrieved 28 September 2026. Permits count only citizens of countries outside the EU; movers from other EU members need no permit and are not in them. The share of permits valid 12 months or more, by destination, is on page 11. The data show the timing of a change, not its cause.
What changed
- 1
Germany, 1 March 2024. The main part of the Skilled Immigration Act of 2023 took effect; further parts followed in June 2024 and January 2026.
- 2
Portugal, 4 June 2024. Decree-Law 37-A/2024 ends residence permits granted from inside Portugal on an expression of interest; applications already started keep the old rules.
- 3
Slovakia, 31 December 2024, Government Regulation 383/2023 Coll. (national visa for listed occupations). The national visa for 46 listed trades, welders among them, expired; a national visa for drivers stays open.
- 4
Croatia, 15 March 2025, Act amending the Foreigners Act, Narodne novine 40/2025. A permit needs Croatian, EEA or Swiss full time staff equal to 16 percent of the employer's staff from outside the EU.
- 5
Poland, 1 June 2025. The Act of 20 March 2025 replaces the 1996 rules; a county head may list occupations closed to work permits.
- 6
Bulgaria, 27 June 2025, Act amending the Foreigners in the Republic of Bulgaria Act, State Gazette 52/2025, section 49 amending the Labour Migration and Labour Mobility Act. Every hire from outside the EU in the past 12 months counts towards the employer limit, and foreign degrees need Bulgarian recognition.
- 7
Spain, 30 December 2025. Order ISM/1547/2025 regulates collective hiring at origin for 2026, seasonal and stable, for groups of at least 10 jobs.
- 8
Romania, 30 December 2025. Government Decision 1169/2025 sets the 2026 quota at 90,000 work authorisations for newly admitted foreign nationals, down from 100,000 in 2025.
- 9
Hungary, 6 June 2026. Government Decree 92/2026 names no country for the guest worker permit, so new applications for it end.
- 10
Lithuania, 7 September 2026, Migration Department notice (Aliens Law, article 57¹). The 2026 quota is used up; from that day a work permit needs pay of at least 1.2 times the average gross wage.
Croatia's Ministry of the Interior counted 44,646 permits for new employment from January to August 2026, a national count not comparable with the grid; the same months of 2025 are not in the data.
Sources: the instruments named, each read at its official gazette or ministry; Ministry of the Interior of Croatia. Retrieved 27 September 2026. Shown: each destination that tightened, at its first tightening from January 2024; the three largest others by 2025 permits, at their first change. Left out: Hungary's Decree 450/2024, not read at the gazette; Spain's Royal Decrees 1155/2024 and 316/2026 (people already in Spain, page 11); later changes and the other six destinations, for space.
6 of 10 destinations require a labour market test
6 of the 10 destinations with a rule on the test require a labour market test before a permit; 5 of 11 set a yearly number of permits: Estonia, Greece, Italy, Lithuania and Romania.
| Destination | Yearly quota, 2026 | Test of the local labour market | Deadline in law for the decision | Latest change to hiring from abroad |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Czechia | caps by embassy | yes | 60 days, 90 in complex cases | July 2026, Government Regulation 109/2026 |
| Germany | none | for some routes | 3 weeks for the visa, accelerated procedure | January 2026, last stage of the Act on the Further Development of Skilled Immigration |
| Estonia | 1,292 places in 2026 | yes | March 2026, the pay floor reset to 2,092 euro a month, the latest yearly average gross wage | |
| Greece | 94,240 posts in 2026 | no | February 2026, Law 5275/2026 | |
| Spain | none | yes, except listed occupations | 3 months; silence means refusal | December 2025, Order ISM/1547/2025 on collective hiring at origin for 2026 |
| Finland | at the authority's discretion | January 2026, Act 1408/2025 | ||
| Croatia | none | yes, except listed occupations | 90 days, 30 more in complex cases | June 2026, Narodne novine 55/2026 |
| Italy | 164,850 entries in 2026, seasonal and non seasonal jobs and self employment together | yes | 60 days for the clearance | October 2025, decree of 2 October 2025 |
| Lithuania | 24,706 for 2026, used up on 7 September 2026 | 3 months for a first permit | September 2026, quota used up | |
| Poland | June 2025, Act of 20 March 2025 | |||
| Romania | 90,000 work authorisations for newly admitted foreign nationals in 2026 | September 2026, a court suspended the shortage list of order 1073/2026; the Ministry of Labour will appeal | ||
| Slovakia | none | yes, except listed occupations | 30 days in a listed job, 60 for others | July 2026, Act 128/2026 |
| Austria | seasonal only | for some routes |
Deadlines in law are not processing times; the Single Permit recast, Directive (EU) 2024/1233, sets 90 days from a complete application, labour market test included.
The limit on staff from outside the EU per employer was read for Bulgaria and Croatia only. Bulgaria sets it at 20 percent of average headcount, 35 percent for a small or medium firm, counting every hire of the past 12 months. Croatia requires that Croatian, EEA or Swiss full time staff equal at least 20 percent of the staff from outside the EU (10 percent in shortage jobs).
Left out of the table, as none of the three rules was read: Bulgaria, Hungary, Portugal, Slovenia and Sweden.
Sources, each read at its official gazette or ministry in the version in force on 27 September 2026: Czechia, e-Sbírka, updated 11 September 2026; Germany, Federal Law Gazette, Act of 18 August 2023, and the Employment Ordinance at gesetze-im-internet.de, updated 27 September 2026; Greece, Government Gazette, updated 11 September 2026; Spain, Order ISM/1547/2025, Boletín Oficial del Estado, 30 December 2025; Finland, Statute Book, 8 January 2026; Croatia, Narodne novine 55/2026, in force 4 June 2026; Italy, decree of 2 October 2025; Lithuania, Migration Department notice of 7 September 2026; Poland, Act of 20 March 2025, in force 1 June 2025; Romania, Government Decision 1169/2025 of 30 December 2025 and the Ministry of Labour's release of 15 September 2026; Slovakia, Act 128/2026 Coll., in force 15 July 2026; Estonia and Austria as read for the Werklist country reports of edition 2026.1 and at the EU Immigration Portal, no update date stated; Directive (EU) 2024/1233 of 24 April 2024. Retrieved 27 September 2026. An empty cell: no rule read at a source for this edition.
7 of 18 destinations require a placement licence
In 7 of the 18 destinations a placement agency needs a licence, permit or authorisation. In Germany, Spain, Hungary, Portugal, Slovenia and Austria the licence shown is the one for temporary agency work.
| Destination | Licence, permit or authorisation required | A temporary work agency may employ a citizen of a country outside the EU | May an agency charge the worker a fee | Who pays by law, from when | Latest change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bulgaria | Yes, a registration certificate for placement | ||||
| Czechia | Yes, a permit to place people | Yes, outside the work Government Regulation 64/2009 bars | January 2024, amendment of the Employment Act | ||
| Germany | Yes for temporary agency work | No where the Federal Employment Agency must approve the job | Yes, up to 2,000 euro including VAT | December 2025, the Act of 22 December 2025 | |
| Estonia | No licence, a notice before starting | No | The employer, from 1 January 2024 | January 2024, the Labour Market Measures Act | |
| Greece | No licence, a notice to the Ministry of Labour | Yes, with at least 1 million euro of capital, since February 2026 | February 2026, Law 5275/2026 | ||
| Spain | Yes for temporary work agencies | Yes, without collective hiring at origin | No | The employer | July 2026, the Supreme Court judgment of 8 July 2026 |
| Finland | No licence | No | The employer | ||
| Croatia | No licence for placement | Yes, with a contract with the user | No | The employer | May 2026, Narodne novine 55/2026 |
| Hungary | Yes for temporary work agencies | ||||
| Italy | Yes, a ministry authorisation | No | The employer | ||
| Lithuania | Yes to place citizens of countries outside the EU | No | The employer | November 2024, Law XIV-3158 of 12 November 2024 | |
| Poland | Yes, entry in the agency register | Yes, once the agency has been registered 2 years | No | The employer, from 1 June 2025 | June 2025, the Act of 20 March 2025 |
| Portugal | Yes for temporary work agencies | No | The employer | May 2023, Law 13/2023 | |
| Romania | Yes, authorised to place foreigners | No | The employer, from 8 August 2026 | April 2026, Emergency Ordinance 32/2026 | |
| Slovenia | Yes for temporary work agencies | Yes, for Blue Card holders, with consent or free access | No for a temporary work agency | 2025, Official Gazette 70/25 and 83/25 | |
| Slovakia | Yes, a trade authorisation for paid placement | Yes, in regional shortage jobs, after three years | No | The employer | |
| Austria | Yes for temporary agency work | ||||
| Sweden | No licence | Yes | No | The employer | January 2013, Act 2012:856 |
In 12 of the 13 destinations whose fee rule was read, the law bars charging the worker a fee. At origin: Nepal, agencies licensed by the Department of Foreign Employment deposit by volume. The Philippines, a licence from the Department of Migrant Workers. India, a registration certificate from the Protector General of Emigrants, and a fee to the worker of no more than 45 days of the contract wage, at most 20,000 rupees. Of the 110 countries the International Labour Organization reviewed in 2023, 69 prohibit recruitment fees for at least some workers or costs.
Sources, read at the official gazette, consolidated text or ministry page, in force and retrieved on 28 September 2026: Bulgaria, Employment Promotion Act; Czechia, Employment Act 435/2004, Government Regulation 64/2009; Germany, Temporary Employment Act, Residence Act, Social Code III; Estonia, Labour Market Measures Act; Greece, Laws 4052/2012 and 5275/2026; Spain, Act 14/1994, Act 3/2023, Royal Decree 1155/2024; Finland, Act 380/2023; Croatia, Labour Market Act, Foreigners Act (Narodne novine 40/2025 and 55/2026); Hungary, Government Decree 118/2001; Italy, Legislative Decree 276/2003; Lithuania, Employment Law XII-2470; Poland, the Acts of 20 March 2025 on the labour market and on the work of foreigners; Portugal, Decree Law 260/2009; Romania, Emergency Ordinance 32/2026; Slovenia, Labour Market Regulation Act, Employment, Self employment and Work of Foreigners Act; Slovakia, Act 5/2004; Austria, Trade Regulation Act; Sweden, Private Employment Agencies Act. Origins: the Werklist country reports, edition 2026.1. International Labour Organization, Global study on recruitment fees and related costs, second edition, 2024, retrieved 27 September 2026. An empty cell: not read at a source for this edition.
Monthly minimum wages ran from 551 to 2,161 euro in 2025
Among the destinations of this report that set a statutory minimum wage, the monthly minimum in the first half of 2025 ran from 551 euro in Bulgaria to 2,161 euro in Germany. The origins are shown in their own currency: the European Central Bank quotes no rate for the taka or the som, and the Philippine minimum is set by the day.
Statutory monthly minimum wage, euro, 2025
A statutory minimum is a floor set in law, not the pay of a given job; this report does not state earnings by job.
Destinations
BulgariaHungaryRomaniaSlovakiaCzechiaEstoniaGreeceCroatiaPortugalLithuaniaPolandSloveniaSpainGermanyFinlandItalyAustriaSwedenOrigins, in their own currency
BangladeshUzbekistanThe PhilippinesNepalIndiaIndonesiaSources: Eurostat, earn_mw_cur, 2025 first half, updated 31 July 2026; Minimum Wages Board of Bangladesh, updated 23 September 2026; President of the Republic of Uzbekistan, decree of 23 June 2026; National Wages and Productivity Commission of the Philippines, updated 27 September 2026. Retrieved 27 September 2026. The European Central Bank quotes no reference rate for the taka or the som.
Recruitment cost 0.7 to 14.6 months' pay in six surveys
No survey read for this edition measures what recruitment costs workers bound for a destination in Europe. The EU Fundamental Rights Agency (237 interviews with exploited workers, 2019) and Europol (one operation in 2025 against trafficking) document cases of severe labour exploitation in Europe. Neither measures recruitment costs.
Recruitment cost paid by the worker, months of earnings in the destination
In the six origin countries with a survey in the United Nations SDG database, the cost ran from 0.7 months of earnings in Cambodia to 14.6 in Bangladesh.
Bangladeshsurvey 2022, years of migration not stated
Viet Namsurvey 2021Nepalsurvey 2023The Philippinessurvey 2019
Laossurvey 2022
Cambodiasurvey 2019Surveys of people in their country of origin, each in a different year and covering all destinations; the values are not averaged. The market defined on page 21 counts only the fee employers pay.
Sources: United Nations, SDG Global Database, indicator 10.7.1 (SL_EMP_RCOST_MO), custodians the International Labour Organization and the World Bank, survey years as shown, no update date stated; EU Fundamental Rights Agency, Protecting migrant workers from exploitation in the EU, June 2019; Europol, release of 6 November 2025. Retrieved 27 September 2026. The Maldives observation is left out: it surveys a destination.
The market is the service fee employers pay intermediaries
The market is the service fee employers pay intermediaries to place a citizen of a country outside the EU in blue collar work on a first residence permit for work. The fee paid in the destination country and the fee paid in the country of origin count together. Visa and permit fees, travel, documents and housing passed through to the employer are not counted, and neither are fees workers pay.
Counted
- First residence permits for work valid three months or more (Eurostat: first residence permits issued for employment reasons), one rule in every destination but Albania, whose first unique permits for work are added and not split by citizenship; seasonal permits of three months or more included
- For blue collar work: occupation groups 5 to 9 of the International Standard Classification of Occupations
- Arranged through an intermediary, where the employer pays the service fee
- The fee for the whole chain, in the destination country and in the country of origin together
- Year 2025; no value in euro in this edition, because too few fees were read at the publisher
Not counted
- Renewals; seasonal stays under 90 days; a change of employer inside the EU; postings
- Temporary agency work, which earns a margin on hours worked
- Employer of record services: an employer of record employs people who already have the right to work; it does not obtain a residence permit for work
- Visa and permit fees, travel, documents and housing passed through to the employer
- Fees workers pay (page 20)
- First residence permits for work to citizens of Ukraine, most of them hired across one border
Shown as volume only
- The Gulf, Japan, Korea, the United Kingdom and North America (page 14), each in its own unit
For scale, not part of this market
Sources: Werklist definition; International Labour Organization, International Standard Classification of Occupations 2008, published 2012; World Employment Confederation, Economic Report 2025, published 25 February 2025; World Bank, People Move blog, 18 December 2024. Retrieved 27 September 2026. Each figure in its own currency; neither is divided by the market.
Estimated 583,000 to 769,000 EU permits were blue collar
The ladder, in first residence permits for work of 2025
Of the 958,730 permits in the frame, 35,900 to 56,800 blue collar permits went to citizens of Nepal; 5,420 to 7,900 came through a licensed agency there.
The frame leaves out the 215,744 permits to citizens of Ukraine. For the 569,000 to 751,000 blue collar permits to citizens of other countries, no source records the recruitment, so the ladder stops at rung 2. Rung 4 holds 8 in 10 simulated results. The interval assumes the inputs vary independently.
Werklist estimate. Permits: Eurostat, migr_resfirst (reason employment, by citizenship and length of validity, 2024 and 2025, updated 11 September 2026) and the National Agency for Employment and Skills of Albania (annual analysis 2025, first unique permits for work, updated 5 May 2026). Blue collar share: the registers by occupation of Slovakia, Poland and Czechia, and Eurostat lfsa_egaisedm and migr_resocc. Channel: Department of Foreign Employment, Nepal, updated 17 July 2026. Retrieved 27 September 2026. Method on pages 23, 24 and 30.
Werklist estimate: 583,000 to 769,000 of the EU's 2025 first residence permits for work were blue collar (page 3); with Norway, Switzerland, Serbia and Albania, 613,000 to 821,000. Poland, Spain and Germany issued 36.4 percent of these. No published or sampled fee is sufficient to value the market in this edition.
The frame, first residence permits for work of 2025
| Part of the frame | Permits | Blue collar, range |
|---|---|---|
| The EU, all 27 members, Portugal at its 2024 level | 900,960 | 583,000 to 769,000 |
| Norway, Switzerland, Serbia and Albania's national count | 57,770 | 29,900 to 52,000 |
| The frame | 958,730 | 613,000 to 821,000 |
| Of the frame: destinations with a Werklist country report | 471,716 | 314,000 to 437,000 |
| The Gulf, Japan, Korea, the United Kingdom and North America | volume only | page 14 |
Werklist estimate on Eurostat, migr_resfirst, 2025, and the National Agency for Employment and Skills of Albania, annual analysis 2025, updated 5 May 2026. Retrieved 27 September 2026.
The blue collar share alone moves the result 58.2 percent
The result on this page is rung 4 of page 22: the permits to citizens of Nepal arranged through a licensed agency there. The share for blue collar work changes it most: from its low to its high value, it rises 58.2 percent. Portugal's whole 2025 count raises it 21.4 percent, the agency share 18.1 percent; leaving out permits valid 3 to 5 months lowers it 3.8 percent.
| Input | Low | High | Basis and year | Grade | Change in rung 4, this input alone |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share for blue collar work | 59.3% | 90.0% | registers by occupation of Slovakia, Poland and Czechia, elsewhere Eurostat bounds (EU values shown), 2025 | B | |
| Portugal's 2025 count, citizens other than of Ukraine | held at 2024, 59,772 | whole 2025 count, 237,859 | Eurostat, 2025 with break flag b | A | |
| Share through a licensed agency at origin, Nepal | 13.2% | 15.5% | Department of Foreign Employment, fiscal 2024/25 and 2025/26 | C | |
| Permits valid 3 to 5 months | left out | counted | Eurostat, by length of validity, 2025 | A | |
| Share where the employer paid the fee | no source measures it on European destinations | D | outside the result | ||
| Service fee per placement | too few fees read at the publisher for this edition | D | outside the result | ||
| Known limits: First residence permits for work may include people already in the country (arraigo); the Ministry of Inclusion statistics that would separate them are not used in this edition. Eurostat flags Ireland's 2025 cells as of low reliability (flag u); the count is kept, the flag is named. | |||||
Each bar moves one input and holds the others.
A stress test, not the estimate: every input at its low or its high end at once, Portugal held at its 2024 level, gives rung 2: 590,000 to 821,000; rung 3: 34,500 to 56,800; rung 4: 4,540 to 8,820.
Werklist estimate; inputs, sources and grades as in the table and on page 30. Eurostat, migr_resfirst (updated 11 September 2026), migr_resocc (updated 11 September 2026) and lfsa_egaisedm (updated 10 September 2026); the registers by occupation of Slovakia, Poland and Czechia, dated on page 13; Department of Foreign Employment, Nepal, country wise final approved lists, updated 17 July 2026. Retrieved 27 September 2026.
Nepal's register lies within 4.8 percent of Eurostat
Counted from the origin side, Nepal's Department of Foreign Employment recorded 57,216 new labour approvals to the destinations of the frame in fiscal 2024/25 and 62,334 in fiscal 2025/26. Eurostat counts 59,501 first residence permits for work to citizens of Nepal there in 2025: the register is 3.8 percent lower in the first year and 4.8 percent higher in the second.
| Check | What is compared | Result | What it means for the estimate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coverage, Nepal | new labour approvals to the destinations of the frame, fiscal 2024/25 and 2025/26 (mid July to mid July), against Eurostat's first residence permits for work to citizens of Nepal there, 2025 | 57,216 and 62,334 against 59,501, −3.8% and +4.8% | within 25 percent: passes, so the agency share of Nepal is graded C |
| Coverage, the Philippines | land based new hires to those destinations against Eurostat | not read at the publisher | the Philippines is left out of rungs 3 and 4 |
| Channel share, Nepal | new approvals through a recruiting agency to those destinations, same tables | 15.5% and 13.2% | sets the range of rung 4 |
| Placements per agency | Bulgaria's first residence permits for blue collar work at their upper bound, 12,007, divided by the 142 agencies the census lists as recruiting from outside the EU | at most 85 a year | plausible size; no threshold set |
| The fee in months of earnings | median and range of the fee observations | too few fees read at the publisher for this edition | not run |
The coverage check compares two counts of the same hires, one at each end, so it is the check to trust most. Placements per agency only shows whether the numbers are of a plausible size.
Sources: Department of Foreign Employment, Nepal, country wise final approved lists, fiscal 2081/82 and 2082/83 (2024/25 and 2025/26), updated 17 July 2026; Eurostat, migr_resfirst, 2025, updated 11 September 2026; Werklist census of employment agencies, 27 to 29 May 2026 (counts only). Retrieved 27 September 2026.
Poland licenses 2,202 agencies to place non EU citizens
The left table gives the registers of employment agencies of 12 European countries. Only Romania, Czechia, Poland and Hungary count apart the agencies licensed to place citizens of countries outside the EU: 2,202 in Poland, 200 in Czechia, 23 in Romania and 18 in Hungary. The right table lists 7 state hiring channels.
| Where | Register of agencies: what it counts | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Bulgaria | 1,706 private employment agencies; 152 temporary work agencies; 893 private employment agencies licensed for placement in other states | 27 September 2026 |
| Romania | 23 agencies licensed to place citizens of countries outside the EU | 27 September 2026 |
| Croatia | 699 temporary work agencies; 712 private employment agencies | 27 September 2026 |
| Serbia | 148 temporary work agencies; 106 private employment agencies | 8 September 2026 |
| Slovakia | 398 temporary work agencies; 3,362 private employment agencies | 15 September 2026 |
| Czechia | 1,910 employment agencies holding a licence; 1,091 temporary work agencies; 200 agencies licensed to place citizens of countries outside the EU | 26 September 2026 |
| Poland | 7,377 employment agencies holding a licence; 4,556 temporary work agencies; 2,202 agencies licensed to place citizens of countries outside the EU | 27 September 2026 |
| Slovenia | 94 temporary work agencies | 7 September 2026 |
| Greece | 37 temporary work agencies; 144 private employment agencies | 22 July 2026 |
| Hungary | 18 agencies licensed to place citizens of countries outside the EU | 13 May 2026 |
| Spain | 217 temporary work agencies | 30 June 2026 |
 North Macedonia | 59 employment agencies holding a licence | 30 April 2025 |
| Where | State hiring channel: what it does | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Germany | On 5 November 2025 the federal cabinet adopted key points for a digital Work and Stay Agency that bundles the permits for work, residence and recognition of qualifications. | 5 November 2025 |
| Germany | Citizens of Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia may be approved for any employment, with a priority check, up to 50,000 first approvals a year. | not dated |
| Romania | From 8 August 2026 employers hire foreign workers through the WorkinRomania.gov.ro platform, and placement agencies may not charge the workers any commission, fee or deposit. | 27 April 2026 |
| Spain | Order ISM/1547/2025 of 23 December 2025 regulates collective hiring at origin for 2026, for groups of at least 10 jobs when the workers are not in Spain. | 1 January 2026 |
| Italy | The decree of 2 October 2025 reserves 25,000 entries a year for citizens of 38 partner countries within quotas of 164,850 for 2026. | 2 October 2025 |
| The EU | Regulation (EU) 2026/1047 establishes an EU Talent Pool and entered into force on 1 June 2026. | 1 June 2026 |
| The EU | The Commission and Member States have launched Talent Partnerships with Tunisia, Morocco, Egypt, Bangladesh and Pakistan. | not dated |
Sources: the registers of employment agencies named in the left table, kept by the institutions listed on page 32, each dated in the last column by the state of the register or the date of its file, counts only; Federal Government of Germany, cabinet key points of 5 November 2025; Employment Ordinance of Germany, section 26(2), consolidated text, no update date stated; Government of Romania, Emergency Ordinance 32/2026, Monitorul Oficial, 27 April 2026; Government of Spain, Order ISM/1547/2025, Boletín Oficial del Estado, 30 December 2025; Government of Italy, decree of 2 October 2025, published 15 October 2025; EUR-Lex, Regulation (EU) 2026/1047 of 12 May 2026; European Commission, Talent Partnerships, no update date stated. Retrieved 27 September 2026. No register was read for Italy, Germany, Lithuania, Estonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Albania, Kosovo and Latvia; the Croatia and Philippines government channel and the Open Balkan work permit were not read at the publisher and are left out.
Eurostat projects fewer people aged 20 to 64 in 19 members
World regions, 2025 to 2050, United Nations projection
On the United Nations' projection, the population aged 20 to 64 in Central and Southern Asia grows by 311.0 million from 2025 to 2050.
Sourcing countries that grow
Uzbekistan +41.1%, Nepal +31.4%, Bangladesh +30.7%, the Philippines +25.3%, India +17.3%, Indonesia +10.6%
Destinations outside the EU that shrink
Korea −33.4%, Japan −25.2%
Source: United Nations, World Population Prospects 2024, medium variant, edition of 11 July 2024, people aged 20 to 64 on 1 July 2025 and 2050, CC BY 3.0 IGO. Retrieved 27 September 2026.
EU members, 2026 to 2041, Eurostat projection
On Eurostat's projection, residents aged 20 to 64 fall from 2026 to 2041 in 19 of the 27 members.
Source: Eurostat, proj_25np, EUROPOP2025 baseline and no migration sensitivity test, residents aged 20 to 64 on 1 January 2026 and 2041, updated 11 June 2026. Retrieved 27 September 2026. The United Nations figures are not used for the EU or its members, nor Eurostat's for other countries.
Ukraine issued 7,483 permits to employ foreigners in 2025
Permits to employ foreigners issued in Ukraine while martial law lasts, and a scenario if both conditions are met
Ukraine's State Employment Service issued 7,483 permits to employ foreigners in 2025, as the service counts them; it does not say whether extensions are included. At Romania's 2025 rate of first residence permits for work, 5.46 per 1,000 residents aged 20 to 64, Ukraine would issue about 131,000 permits a year once both conditions are met. This is a scenario: no published source dates either condition. Romania is the benchmark by a Werklist definition: of the EU members bordering Ukraine, it is the only one where most 2025 permits ran 12 months or more and no neighbouring citizenship held 10 percent of them.
Sources: State Employment Service of Ukraine, dcz.gov.ua, no update date stated; United Nations, World Population Prospects 2024, medium variant, edition of 11 July 2024; Eurostat, migr_resfirst (by length of validity and citizenship, updated 11 September 2026), demo_pjangroup (updated 25 September 2026) and migr_asytpsm (updated 24 September 2026); Council Implementing Decision (EU) 2026/1912, in force 5 August 2026. Werklist calculation. No probability is given because no source states one. Retrieved 27 September 2026. The scenario is a level, not a path: no source gives a year for reaching that level.
The two conditions
Martial law ends: Decree 64/2022 is not extended.
An admission route for foreign employees is published with the revised list of migration risk countries.
Sources: Decree of the President of Ukraine 64/2022 and its extensions (the latest: Decree 596/2026 of 13 July 2026 extended it for 90 days from 2 August 2026); Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine. Retrieved 27 September 2026.
People from Ukraine under EU temporary protection, end of July 2026
Protection ends on 4 March 2028 unless extended.
Eurostat, migr_asytpsm, updated 24 September 2026; Council Implementing Decision (EU) 2026/1912, in force 5 August 2026. Retrieved 27 September 2026.
16 decisions on hiring from abroad are due by March 2029
The table lists 16 decisions on hiring from abroad and the rules around it, dated between October 2026 and March 2029, and two without a date.
| Date | Where | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| 30 October 2026 |  Bosnia and Herzegovina | The Federal Employment Institute lists shortage occupations for 2027; for these jobs the unemployment register is not checked. |
| 1 November 2026 | Lithuania | Applications for temporary residence can no longer be filed in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan or Uzbekistan. Citizens of Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan received 31.4% of Lithuania's 2025 first residence permits for work. |
| 1 November 2026 |  Montenegro | Citizens of Belarus, China, Russia, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye need a visa to enter Montenegro. |
| 30 November 2026 | Montenegro | The Government sets the 2027 quota of work permits; the 2026 quota is 28,988, with 15,945 used by 30 June. |
| December 2026 | Romania | The government sets the 2027 quota of work authorisations for newly admitted foreign nationals; the 2026 quota was set on 30 December 2025. Romania issued 60,840 first residence permits for work in 2025. |
| December 2026 | Korea | The Foreign Workforce Policy Committee sets the next quota of the Employment Permit System (E-9); the 2026 quota of 80,000 was set in December 2025. |
| 31 December 2026 | The United Arab Emirates | Firms with 50 or more employees must reach an Emirati share of 10 percent in skilled jobs by the end of 2026. |
| 2027 | Canada | The levels plan targets 220,000 temporary resident admissions in its worker category for 2027, against 230,000 for 2026. |
| 12 January 2027 | Italy | Applications for the 165,850 entries of 2027 open, starting with farm seasonal jobs on 12 January. |
| 1 April 2027 | Japan | Employment for Skill Development replaces the Technical Intern Training Programme, with a cap of 426,200 statuses of residence. |
| 4 June 2027 | Croatia | After a year in Croatia, a permit renewal needs a basic Croatian exam paid by the employer; seasonal permits are exempt. |
| 2 December 2027 | The EU | Obligations for high risk artificial intelligence systems used to recruit or select people apply, moved from August 2026 by Regulation (EU) 2026/1744. |
| 14 December 2027 | The EU | Products made with forced labour may not be placed on the EU market or exported; a product rule, not a fee rule. |
| 4 March 2028 | The EU | Temporary protection for people displaced from Ukraine ends on 4 March 2028 unless the Council extends it again. The count of this protection is on page 27. |
| 22 July 2028 | The United Kingdom | Switching into care worker roles from inside the United Kingdom ends under the transition set by HC 997. |
| March 2029 | Japan | The ceiling of 805,700 Specified Skilled Worker (i) statuses of residence runs to March 2029; no later ceiling is set. |
| no date | Bulgaria | A January 2026 draft would raise employer limits from 20 and 35 percent to 25 and 40 percent; it is not law. |
| no date |  Ukraine | Permits to employ foreigners in Ukraine depend on two conditions: martial law ends, and an admission route for foreign employees is published with the revised list of migration risk countries. |
The effects of these decisions will show in the OECD International Migration Outlook 2026, Eurostat's count of first residence permits for work in 2026, and the United Nations' migrant stock and World Population Prospects.
Sources: the instruments named in each row, dated, among them the Government of Montenegro's decision on the 2026 quota of work permits, no update date stated, and the Law amending the Law on Employment of Foreigners of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (Official Gazette of the Federation 36/26), no update date stated, with the Federal Employment Institute's list, not yet published; Eurostat, migr_resfirst (updated 11 September 2026) and migr_asytpsm (updated 24 September 2026); Ministry of Employment and Labor of Korea, Employment Permit System quota for 2026, 22 December 2025; Werklist list of decisions as of 27 September 2026. National elections are not listed: no election date was read at an election authority.
About Werklist and this report
Who wrote this report, and with what interest
Who wrote it Werklist, a platform for the international hiring of blue collar talent, based in Croatia.
Who paid for it Werklist, from its own funds. No government, client or investor commissioned or reviewed the findings.
Its interest Werklist places people from Asia and elsewhere with employers in Europe, and benefits when employers hire through regular routes.
What was reviewed Every number is traced to its source, and every conclusion was read against the data by a second reader. The method has not been reviewed outside Werklist.
What it does not contain No Werklist price, revenue or ranking.
Werklist country reports of 2026
published at werklist.com/reports, as of 27 September 2026
Sourcing countries Werklist works with
- Nepal
- India
- The Philippines
- Bangladesh
- Uzbekistan
- Indonesia
as of 27 September 2026
Source: Werklist records and the country reports of edition 2026.1 published at werklist.com/reports, as of the date of each count.
How to read this report
Permits and people
A first residence permit for work is the first residence permit a country of the EU issues to a citizen of a country outside the EU in order to work, valid for three months or more. Renewals are not counted. Seasonal permits valid three months or more are included, because Eurostat does not report them apart; seasonal stays under 90 days are not. Permits are counted, not people. People appear only on the pages that say so, and the two are never added.
Two corrections on every page
From 2022 most citizens of Ukraine arriving in the EU received temporary protection instead of a residence permit for work; it lets them work without a permit, so we show the count without them. Eurostat marks Portugal's 2025 count as a break in series, so we also show the count without Portugal, and say so each time.
What a Werklist estimate is
The market is our arithmetic on public data: first residence permits for work, times the share for blue collar work, times the share arranged through an agency, times the share for which the employer paid, times the fee. Each step is a rung of the ladder on page 22. Each input is graded: A counted, B derived from a count, C estimated from evidence, D judgement. We print the arithmetic only as far as every input is graded C or better; a step graded D is shown empty, with the reason.
Numbers, dates and words
Counts are printed exactly; estimates are rounded to three significant figures. For the EU and its members the population comes from Eurostat: residents on 1 January for the rates, the 2025 projection for the outlook. For world regions and countries outside the EU it comes from the United Nations' 2024 projection; never both for one country. Amounts stay in the currency the publisher uses. Every source was retrieved on 27 September 2026, the Swedish rules and the agency laws on 28 September 2026.
What the data cover
| Group | What is counted | Last year | In the market frame |
|---|---|---|---|
| EU members | first residence permits issued for employment to citizens of countries outside the EU, valid three months or more | 2025 | yes |
| Norway, Switzerland and Serbia | first residence permits for employment, counted by Eurostat (migr_resfirst) by the same rule as the EU members; not national counts | 2025 | yes |
 Albania, the one national count | first unique permits for work, counted by Albania's National Agency for Employment and Skills; not Eurostat's rule | 2025 | yes, added to the frame; not split by citizenship |
| Seasonal work | authorisations for seasonal work, including stays under 90 days; a separate count | 2025 | no |
| Postings from one member to another | portable documents A1 | 2024 | no |
| Changes of status inside a country | Spain's arraigo routes and Italy's 2020 regularisation are inside Eurostat's first residence permits for work | inside the count | |
| Onward movement from the Gulf to Europe | no source counts it | no | |
| The Gulf | non nationals' share of private sector employment and of the labour force | 2024 | no, volume only |
| Japan, Korea, Singapore, Russia, the United Kingdom, Canada, the United States, Australia | each in its own unit, as its government publishes it | no, volume only | |
| Origin registers | each government's own word: new labour approvals (Nepal), emigration clearances (Bangladesh, India), placements (Indonesia), deployments (the Philippines) | no, context; Nepal's register also records whether an agency was used; used for rung 4 on page 22 | |
| Africa and Latin America | EU first residence permits for work by citizenship only | counted in rung 2; not carried further | |
| The world | people outside their country of birth, 2024; migrants in the labour force, 2022 | no |
Rung 4 of the ladder on page 22 is a range: 8 in 10 of 10,000 simulated results fall inside it. The interval assumes the inputs vary independently.
Source: the report's data files and grades, as of 27 September 2026.
Sources and flags
Sources
Every source retrieved 27 September 2026; the Swedish work permit rules and the laws on employment agencies 28 September 2026. The list continues on page 32.
- Eurostat, migr_resfirst, first permits by reason, length of validity and citizenship, updated 11 September 2026 ec.europa.eu/
eurostat/ databrowser/ view/ migr_resfirst - Eurostat, migr_resocc, first permits by occupation route, updated 11 September 2026 ec.europa.eu/
eurostat/ databrowser/ view/ migr_resocc - Eurostat, migr_ressw1_1, authorisations for seasonal work ec.europa.eu/
eurostat/ databrowser/ view/ migr_ressw1_1 - Eurostat, migr_resvalid, residence permits valid on 31 December ec.europa.eu/
eurostat/ databrowser/ view/ migr_resvalid - Eurostat, migr_asytpsm, beneficiaries of temporary protection, updated monthly ec.europa.eu/
eurostat/ databrowser/ view/ migr_asytpsm - Eurostat, lfsa_egan and lfsa_egaisedm, employment by citizenship and occupation ec.europa.eu/
eurostat/ databrowser - Eurostat, demo_pjangroup, population on 1 January by age group, updated 25 September 2026 ec.europa.eu/
eurostat/ databrowser/ view/ demo_pjangroup - Eurostat, jvs_a_rate_r2, job vacancy rate, updated 20 March 2026 ec.europa.eu/
eurostat/ databrowser/ view/ jvs_a_rate_r2 - Eurostat, proj_25np, EUROPOP2025, updated 11 June 2026 ec.europa.eu/
eurostat/ databrowser/ view/ proj_25np - Eurostat, earn_mw_cur, monthly minimum wages, updated 31 July 2026 ec.europa.eu/
eurostat/ databrowser/ view/ earn_mw_cur - United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, International Migrant Stock 2024 (POP/DB/MIG/Stock/Rev.2024), the table by destination (updated 7 February 2025) and the table by destination and origin (updated 27 January 2025), CC BY 3.0 IGO, and its Key facts and figures, January 2025 un.org/
development/ desa/ pd/ content/ international-migrant-stock - United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, World Population Prospects 2024, medium variant, CC BY 3.0 IGO population.un.org/
wpp - United Nations, SDG Global Database, indicator 10.7.1 (SL_EMP_RCOST_MO) unstats.un.org/
sdgs/ dataportal - International Labour Organization, Global Estimates on International Migrant Workers, fourth edition, December 2024, CC BY 4.0 ilo.org
- International Labour Organization, Walk Free and International Organization for Migration, Global Estimates of Modern Slavery, September 2022 ilo.org
- European Labour Authority, EURES report on labour shortages and surpluses 2025, published 8 June 2026 ela.europa.eu
- OECD, International Migration Outlook 2025, CC BY 4.0 oecd.org
- Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare of Japan, foreign employees notified by employers, October 2025 mhlw.go.jp
- Ministry of Employment and Labor of Korea, Employment Permit System quota, 2026 moel.go.kr
- Ministry of Manpower of Singapore, foreign workforce numbers, December 2025 mom.gov.sg
- Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, temporary residents levels plan, 2026 canada.ca
- Pacific Australia Labour Mobility, scheme data, 2025 palmscheme.gov.au
- Bureau of Manpower, Employment and Training, Bangladesh, overseas employment, 2025 bmet.gov.bd
- Ministry of External Affairs, India, eMigrate, emigration clearances, 2025 emigrate.gov.in
- Ministry of Protection of Indonesian Migrant Workers, placements, 2025 kp2mi.go.id
- Department of Foreign Employment, Nepal, yearly report 2024/25 dofe.gov.np
- Department of Migrant Workers, the Philippines, deployment statistics, 2025 dmw.gov.ph
- Central Office of Labour, Social Affairs and Family of Slovakia, foreigners' statistics, table 4, December 2025 upsvr.gov.sk
- Ministry of Family, Labour and Social Policy of Poland, work permits by occupation, 2025 gov.pl
- Ministry of the Interior of Croatia, monthly permits for residence and work, to August 2026 mup.gov.hr
- State Employment Service of Ukraine, work permits issued, 2025 dcz.gov.ua
- Council of the European Union, Implementing Decision (EU) 2026/1912 on temporary protection eur-lex.europa.eu
- EUR-Lex, Directive (EU) 2024/1233 on the single permit eur-lex.europa.eu
- EUR-Lex, Regulation (EU) 2024/1689 on artificial intelligence, Annex III, as amended by Regulation (EU) 2026/1744 eur-lex.europa.eu
- EUR-Lex, Regulation (EU) 2024/3015 on products made with forced labour eur-lex.europa.eu
- EUR-Lex, Regulation (EU) 2026/1047 on the EU Talent Pool eur-lex.europa.eu
- Diário da República, Portugal, Decree Law 37-A/2024 and Law 61/2025 dre.pt
- Narodne novine, Croatia, Foreigners Act amendments 40/2025 and 55/2026 narodne-novine.nn.hr
- Monitorul Oficial, Romania, Government Decision 1169/2025 and Emergency Ordinance 32/2026 monitoruloficial.ro
- Magyar Közlöny, Hungary, Government Decree 92/2026 magyarkozlony.hu
- Slov-Lex, Slovakia, Act 5/2004, Act 404/2011 and Act 128/2026 slov-lex.sk
- State Gazette, Bulgaria, issue 52, 27 June 2025 dv.parliament.bg
- Gazzetta Ufficiale, Italy, the entry decree for 2026 to 2028 gazzettaufficiale.it
- Dziennik Ustaw, Poland, Act of 20 March 2025 on the employment of foreigners dziennikustaw.gov.pl
- Federal Ministry of the Interior, Germany, Skilled Immigration Act and Western Balkans Regulation bmi.bund.de
- European Commission, report on portable documents A1 issued in 2024 commission.europa.eu
- Werklist, census of employment agencies, 27 to 29 May 2026, counts only
- World Employment Confederation, Economic Report 2025, data for 2023 wecglobal.org
Sources and flags, continued
Sources, continued
Every source retrieved 27 September 2026; the Swedish work permit rules and the laws on employment agencies 28 September 2026.
- World Bank, People Move blog, remittances to low and middle income countries, 18 December 2024 blogs.worldbank.org/
peoplemove - Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs of Czechia, open data, employment of foreigners by occupation data.mpsv.cz
- Swedish Migration Agency, work permit rules from 1 June 2026 migrationsverket.se
- Gulf Research Center, Gulf Labour Markets, Migration and Population programme, private sector employment 2015 to 2024 gulfmigration.grc.net
- European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights, Protecting migrant workers from exploitation in the EU: workers' perspectives, 2019 fra.europa.eu
- Europol, release of 6 November 2025 on an action against labour exploitation europol.europa.eu
- Home Office of the United Kingdom, Statement of Changes to the Immigration Rules HC 997, explanatory memorandum gov.uk
- Immigration Services Agency of Japan, Employment for Skill Development and Specified Skilled Worker (i) moj.go.jp/
isa - Department of Employment and Workplace Relations of Australia, Pacific Australia Labour Mobility scheme data, July 2026 dewr.gov.au
- Al Meezan, Qatar, Law 9 of 2026 amending the Labour Law almeezan.qa
- Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation, United Arab Emirates, Ministerial Resolution 279 of 2022 mohre.gov.ae
- Boletín Oficial del Estado, Spain, Royal Decrees 1155/2024 and 316/2026; Order ISM/1547/2025 boe.es
- Government Gazette of Greece, Law 5275/2026; decision on the posts for 2026 et.gr
- e-Sbírka, Czechia, Government Regulation 109/2026 e-sbirka.gov.cz
- Official Gazette of Slovenia, issue 32/2025 uradni-list.si
- Migration Department of Lithuania, notices of 7 and 24 September 2026 migracija.lrv.lt
- Government of Montenegro, decree amending the visa regime, 23 July 2026 gov.me
- Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, Decree 64/2022 and its extensions zakon.rada.gov.ua
- Registers of employment agencies, Employment Agency of Bulgaria; National Agency for Employment; Ministry of Labour, Pension System, Family and Social Policy of Croatia; Ministry of Labour, Employment, Veteran and Social Affairs of Serbia; Central Office of Labour, Social Affairs and Family of Slovakia; Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs of Czechia; Ministry of Family, Labour and Social Policy of Poland; Slovenian open data portal; Ministry of Labour and Social Security of Greece; Government of Hungary; Ministry of Labour and Social Economy of Spain; Ministry of Social Policy, Demography and Youth of North Macedonia; each dated on page 25, counts only
- Government of Montenegro, decision on the 2026 quota of work permits gov.me
- Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Law amending the Law on Employment of Foreigners, Official Gazette of the Federation 36/26; Federal Employment Institute, list of shortage occupations
- National Agency for Employment and Skills of Albania, annual analysis 2025 (Analiza e vitit 2025), first unique permits for work, updated 5 May 2026 puna.gov.al/
publikime - Minimum Wages Board of Bangladesh, minimum wage of the garment sector, updated 23 September 2026 mwb.gov.bd
- President of the Republic of Uzbekistan, decree of 23 June 2026, minimum wage lex.uz
- National Wages and Productivity Commission of the Philippines, daily minimum wage rates, National Capital Region, updated 27 September 2026 nwpc.dole.gov.ph
- International Labour Organization, International Standard Classification of Occupations 2008, published 2012 ilo.org
- Statute Book of Finland, Act 1408/2025 amending the Aliens Act, published 29 December 2025 finlex.fi
- European Commission, EU Immigration Portal, no update date stated home-affairs.ec.europa.eu
- European Commission, Talent Partnerships, no update date stated home-affairs.ec.europa.eu
- Laws on employment agencies, the acts named in the source line of page 18, read at the official gazettes, consolidated texts and ministry pages of the destinations in the version in force on 28 September 2026
- International Labour Organization, Global study on recruitment fees and related costs, second edition, 2024 ilo.org
Licences: United Nations data CC BY 3.0 IGO; International Labour Organization, OECD and World Bank CC BY 4.0; Eurostat reuse under Commission Decision 2011/833/EU; the European Labour Authority's reuse terms.
Flags
Flags: circle-flags by HatScripts, MIT licence; Türkiye, Viet Nam and Switzerland drawn by Werklist in the same style. The dotted map of the cover, page 29 and the back page: dotted-map by Basile Bruneau, MIT licence, as drawn at werklist.com/reports.
What this report answers
How many first residence permits for work did EU members issue in 2025?
1,295,687 in 2025. Without citizens of Ukraine and without Portugal, 841,188, against 842,433 in 2024.
Which citizenships receive the most first residence permits for work in the EU?
Without citizens of Ukraine and without Portugal, citizens of Belarus received the most in 2025, 83,349, followed by citizens of India and Nepal. Permits to citizens of Nepal rose from 8,516 to 54,254.
How many people live outside their country of birth?
304.0 million people in mid 2024, 3.7 percent of the world's population, against 153.9 million in 1990. Of them, 51.7 million had been forcibly displaced across borders.
How many migrants are in the labour force?
The International Labour Organization estimates 167.7 million migrants in the labour force in 2022, 4.7 percent of the world's labour force.
Which occupations are short across Europe?
In 2025, 22 of the 28 countries reporting to the European Labour Authority named welders and flame cutters a shortage occupation. The EU job vacancy rate was 2.1 percent, against 3.0 percent in 2022.
How large is the market for hiring from abroad?
No official statistic measures it. Werklist estimates that 583,000 to 769,000 EU first residence permits for work of 2025 were for blue collar work, without Ukraine's citizens and with Portugal at its 2024 level.
Which destinations tightened their rules for hiring from abroad?
7 of 16 destinations the report follows tightened their rules for hiring from outside the EU from January 2024 to September 2026. From 6 June 2026 Hungary took no new applications for its guest worker permit.
How will the working age population of the EU change?
On Eurostat's baseline projection, the EU will have 12.6 million fewer residents of working age, 20 to 64, in 2041 than in 2026.
The full report answers each question with its figures, charts and sources. Request the full report