Key facts
- Non-EU citizens in the EU experience higher rates of temporary and part-time employment than EU nationals.
- Language barriers, non-recognition of qualifications, and administrative hurdles are cited as key factors for non-EU workers.
- Female employees, regardless of citizenship, have a higher prevalence of temporary and part-time contracts.
- The share of non-EU nationals in temporary or part-time work has decreased in recent years, reaching a low in 2025.
- Self-employment rates are highest among EU citizens living in their home countries.
Non-EU citizens residing and working within the European Union face a greater likelihood of securing temporary and part-time employment compared to their EU national counterparts. This trend, observed over the past decade, highlights structural barriers that non-EU workers encounter in the bloc's labor markets.
According to Eurostat data, individuals from outside the EU aged 20 to 64 exhibited the highest prevalence of temporary contracts and part-time work, while EU nationals had the lowest rates. Experts, including Joanna Hofman from Ipsos, point to several contributing factors such as language barriers, the non-recognition of foreign qualifications, more limited professional networks, potential discrimination, and immigration-related restrictions. These challenges often lead non-EU citizens into more precarious forms of employment.
However, Hofman also noted that some migrants may actively choose temporary or part-time roles due to personal circumstances, such as plans to return to their home country or the need for flexible arrangements. Despite these individual choices, she emphasized that structural labor market barriers are likely the primary driver of the observed differences.
Encouragingly, the proportion of non-EU nationals in temporary or part-time work has seen a decline in recent years, reaching its lowest point in 2025. Between 2015 and 2025, Cyprus, the Netherlands, and Poland recorded the highest shares of temporary contracts for non-EU employees, all exceeding 40%.
Gender disparities are also evident, with female employees across all citizenship groups showing a higher incidence of temporary contracts than males. Italy, Spain, and Portugal exhibited the most significant gender gaps in this regard. Hofman attributes this to factors such as women disproportionately balancing paid work with caregiving responsibilities and their overrepresentation in sectors like health, social care, education, and hospitality, where temporary contracts are more common.
In 2025, part-time employment was most prevalent among non-EU citizens at approximately 22%, compared to about 17% for nationals and 20% for other EU citizens. The Netherlands, Finland, and France displayed the largest disparities in part-time work rates among these groups. Women, across all citizenship categories, also had considerably higher rates of part-time employment than men.
Regarding self-employment in 2025, EU citizens living in their home countries led with 13.5%, followed by EU citizens in other member states at 10.9%, and non-EU citizens at 10.1%. Nationals generally benefit from greater familiarity with legal and tax systems, stronger professional networks, and easier access to finance, according to experts. Non-EU nationals may face additional legal or visa constraints that hinder their ability to pursue self-employment.