The Ukrainian economy urgently needs an additional 4.5 million workers. Among the 31 million Ukrainians living in the country, only 13.3 million are employed, while approximately 1 million are unemployed. About 12.5 million people are not engaged in the labor market. This includes 7.5 million retirees, 2 million students, 1 million women on maternity leave, 400 thousand individuals with disabilities, and 500 thousand who are homemakers. There are also a certain number of people who are not working for other reasons.
This is reported by Finway
“Among the millions listed lies a potential labor reserve for the national economy,” noted the State Employment Service.
For example, of the 4.6 million Ukrainians who have received internally displaced person status, 860 thousand are unemployed, even though they could work. Additionally, the country has two more sources of labor: refugees abroad and military personnel who will eventually return to civilian life.
“Only when all internal labor resources are utilized by the state and businesses, and exhausted, should we talk about migrants,” the agency is confident.
Otherwise, attracting foreigners will only exacerbate internal social tensions and may raise concerns among Western partners about the potential transformation of Ukraine into a transit hub for migrants seeking to reach Europe.