Labor market in Ukraine

Salaries in Ukraine

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2024: The working population of Ukraine from 2021 decreased by 40% to 10.44 million people

In 2024, the working population of Ukraine decreased by 40% compared to 2021. Then in the country there were 17.4 million people of working age. Thus, by 2024, the number of people able to work in Ukraine amounted to about 10.44 million people. TAdviser got acquainted with the data of the Ukrainian Center for Economic and Political Studies named after Alexander Razumkov in early February 2025.

Olga Pishchulina, a leading expert on social and gender programs at the Center, pointed to the critical ratio between the number of vacancies and resumes in the labor market. If earlier there were an average of two resumes per vacancy, then in 2024 this ratio decreased to one to one.

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Фото: Kyiv

The main factors in the decline in labor resources were demographic changes, including an increase in the share of the population of retirement age. Regional specifics also had a significant impact - population migration led to the partial de-industrialization of the eastern regions and a decrease in the potential of the agricultural sector in the south of the country.

The European Business Association conducted a study that revealed an acute shortage of qualified specialists in Ukrainian companies. According to the survey, 74% of enterprises faced a shortage of the necessary personnel, another 17% of organizations partially experience this problem.

According to experts, to restore the country's economy, it is necessary to attract 4.5 million workers in various industries. The National Bank of Ukraine confirmed the presence of a serious shortage of labor resources in the economy. The situation is aggravated against the background of tightening mobilization rules, which leads to an additional reduction in the available labor force.^[1]

2023: Since the beginning of the special operation, Ukraine has lost more than 30% of its labor resources. This is more than Germany in World War II

Ukraine lost over 30% of its labor resources after the start of a special operation in 2022, which is more than Germany in World War II. Such data are given in the report of the Confederation of Employers of Ukraine, which was published on May 11, 2023.

It is reported that before the start of the special operation, the number of able-bodied Ukrainians was about 17.4 million people - of which 8.3 million were women and 9.1 million were men. However, in the current geopolitical situation, about 1 million citizens of Ukraine of working age were mobilized. As of the beginning of 2023, 4.6 million Ukrainians had left the country, of which 3.2 million were women capable of working. In the territories over which Ukraine has lost control, there are about 3 million people: of which 1.3 million are of working age. Thus, the Confederation of Employers of Ukraine notes, the total number of people of working age in the country decreased by 5.5 million people.

Ukraine lost over 30% of its labor resources after the start of a special operation

If we compare the situation in Ukraine in 2023 and in Germany in 1946, then the losses of labor potential in our country in absolute terms are almost the same, and in relative terms - twice as high: 31.6% in Ukraine in 2023 against 16-18% of Germany in 1946 - the published document says.

As of the beginning of 2023, out of 11.9 million people in Ukraine, the labor force at the places of permanent residence was 7.9-8.8 million citizens: this is approximately 45-50% of the indicator observed before the start of the special operation. At the same time, only about 50% of Ukrainians who have left the country since the beginning of 2022 plan to return to their homeland.

It is also said that the Ukrainian economy feels a significant reduction in professionals who have received special training. Thus, 60% of Ukrainian women who are outside the country have higher education. The outflow of professional personnel is experienced by many areas, including health care.^[2]

2019: Between 2 million and 4 million people go to work in other countries

The unfavorable socio-economic situation has caused the leakage of personnel from the country, especially qualified ones - for example, the number of labor emigrants in May 2019 is, according to various estimates, from 2 to 4 million people. Most often, Ukrainians leave in search of a better share in Poland.

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