Ukraine is facing a critical labour shortage that threatens to cause a large-scale staffing collapse after the war. Economists and employers agree that without hundreds of thousands of migrant workers, economic recovery will be impossible. There is a particularly acute shortage of workers in construction, agriculture and industry.<\/p>\n
Ukraine needs about 4.5 million additional workers to restore its economic performance in 2021. According to the official statistics<\/a> The Ministry of Foreign Affairs estimates that approximately 8.5 million people have fled the country since the start of the full-scale invasion in 2022, of whom 5 million are working age. Forecasts suggest that only 10-15% of these people will return, and this percentage is decreasing with the duration of the war.<\/p>\n According to the economist Oleg Pendzin<\/strong>, Ukraine will have to attract 400,000 to 450,000 foreign workers annually, mostly for low-skilled labour in construction, agriculture and industry. Director of the Institute of Demography Ella Libanova<\/strong> confirms that it will be impossible to overcome the staff shortage without large-scale recruitment of foreign workers. It emphasises the need to develop a balanced migration policy<\/a>.<\/p>\n Before the war, about 300,000 people worked in Ukraine foreign employees<\/a>. The law \u201cOn employment of the population<\/strong><\/em>\u201d regulates the procedure for issuing permits for foreigners arriving for work. The head of the law firm Anna Daniel<\/strong> clarifies that an employer submits an application to the employment centre, attaching passport documents, a draft employment contract and other necessary documents depending on the category of employee. Lawyer. Igor Tarasenko<\/strong> emphasises that formalisation is key to protecting employers from fines.<\/p>\n As of the beginning of May 2026, the \u201cA single job portal<\/a>\u201d posted 230,000 vacancies, while 141,000 job seekers were registered. The largest number of vacancies are in trade, industry, transport, hospitality, finance and medicine. At the same time, a significant proportion of the unemployed have an education that does not meet the needs of the market. This mismatch exacerbates structural unemployment, when vacancies exist but cannot be filled due to a lack of relevant skills.<\/p>\n Through mobilisation and men travelling abroad<\/a> The state supports programmes for retraining women for traditionally male professions, as well as internships for people aged 50+. The programme \u201cExperience matters<\/a>\u201d involves training, meetings with employers and internships with subsequent employment. Experts believe that although these initiatives are important, they will not be able to radically change the situation without the involvement of migrants.<\/p>\n Attracting foreign workers is seen as one of the crucial factors in overcoming the staffing crisis. At the same time, the country's leadership is working to revise the list of migration risk countries, as there are concerns that official employment may be used for illegal stay. This policy should take into account not only the quantity but also the quality of workers to ensure the stability and development of the economy.<\/p>\nThe need for labour migrants after the war<\/h2>\n
Ukrainian experience of employing foreigners<\/h2>\n
Labour market: vacancies and structural problems<\/h2>\n
Retraining and attracting new categories of employees<\/h2>\n
The impact of migrants on the economy and risks<\/h2>\n
Prospects and challenges<\/h2>\n