This report covers Social Security participation by foreign workers and the May update shows a continued rise in registrations. In May, an average of 72,111 foreign participants joined the system, marking a +3% increase. The month closed with a record-high total of 2,426,625 migrant workers registered, according to the Ministry of Social Security and Migration.
May’s advance in foreign worker registrations represents the fourth consecutive monthly gain, following increases of 18,500 in February, 40,155 in March, and 55,689 in April. This steady growth pattern highlights a sustained influx of foreign labor entering the system as the year progresses.
Within the foreign cohort, 849,733 participants (35%) originate from European Union countries, while 1,576,892 (64.9%) come from third countries. The largest groups by nationality include workers from Romania (348,126), Morocco (310,619), Italy (156,681), Colombia (112,349), and Venezuela (111,683), forming a broad and diverse international workforce.
The system also records 54,778 affiliates from Ukraine, a figure exceeding the February count prior to the onset of Russia’s war and reflecting the ongoing movements shaping the labor market.
Last year, foreign participation rose by 257,299, representing an 11.8% increase. Of all foreign participants, 55.8% are men (1,356,247) and 44.1% are women (1,700,378), illustrating a gender distribution that accompanies shifts in job sectors and regional needs.
Seasonally adjusted data show that foreign memberships increased by 4,958 in May compared with March, with total memberships reaching 2,348,595. The trend also notes 159,174 more people employed in February 2020 compared to the period before the pandemic, reflecting the broader recovery in the labor market. This marks the twelfth consecutive monthly rise in the seasonally adjusted series. In the first five months of the year, the system added 41,931 foreign workers, underscoring a persistent demand for cross-border labor.