Ukraine is experiencing a severe shortage of personnel in the labor market, which threatens the further development of the economy. As noted by the head of the Migration Policy Office, Vasyl Voskoboynyk, the country will soon need to attract labor migrants.
This is reported by Finway
According to Voskoboynyk, Ukraine has the potential to become attractive to workers from Central Asia, the South Caucasus, and South-East Asia, as the wage levels in these regions are significantly lower, and opportunities for legal employment are limited. Individuals who have lost their jobs in EU countries or become refugees from war-affected regions may also come to Ukraine.
Challenges for the Ukrainian Labor Market
At the same time, Voskoboynyk emphasizes that due to military risks, legal uncertainty, and infrastructure problems, Ukraine is currently not competitive in the global labor market. However, attracting foreign workers is possible if a targeted migration strategy is developed.
“We have a chance to attract workers from poorer countries. But for this, we need a state policy aimed at attracting foreign labor resources,” the expert noted.
Internal Migration as a Solution to the Problem
Part of the personnel deficit can be compensated through internal migration and the employment of individuals who have previously been overlooked in the labor market. Voskoboynyk points out that the main challenge today is retraining. Ukraine has not yet developed an effective program that would facilitate the professional reformatting of citizens, particularly internally displaced persons.
“Low mobility and the unwillingness of people to change professions are one of the main obstacles. In cities, there is an oversaturation of educators and a shortage of technical personnel, while in villages, there is a catastrophic lack of any qualified staff,” he added.