Main points
- 67% of employers in Ukraine report a shortage of workers, which is a record since the start of the full-scale war.
- In addition to the labor shortage, business is hampered by rising raw material prices, security risks, and energy supply disruptions, although pressure and corruption remain less significant problems.
The shortage of personnel in Ukraine has broken all records / Shutterstock
The situation on the Ukrainian labor market is rapidly worsening – and now it is no longer just a problem of individual industries, but a systemic challenge for all business. Business is also hindered by corruption and rising prices.
Human resource shortage in Ukraine: what is the scale of the problem?
According to a March survey by the Institute for Economic Research and Policy Consulting, 67% of employers reported a shortage of workers. This is an absolute record since the start of the full-scale war, OBOZ writes.
Until recently, this indicator was at the level of 64-65%, but now it has noticeably increased. And most importantly, the personnel shortage covers all levels of the labor market without exception. The problem has become so large-scale that it is difficult to find people for literally any position:
- 61.4% of companies cannot find qualified specialists
(for comparison: previously it was 51.4%); - 35.1% of employers experience shortages even among workers without experience
(in February this figure was 30.8%).
Despite the difficulties, business does not stop:
- 16.6% of companies plan to expand their staff;
- only 3.9% are preparing for layoffs (in February there were 6.9%).
What else hinders business in Ukraine?
Rising raw material prices
- 45% of businesses mention the problem
- until recently it was 43%
This is consistently the second most important obstacle after the lack of workers.
Security risks
- relevant for 42% of companies
This is felt most strongly by enterprises in frontline regions, in particular:
- Zaporizhia region
- Dnipropetrovsk region
However, even in relatively calmer regions, this factor remains important.
Power and heating outages
- the importance of the problem fell from 41% to 30%
This is explained by:
- the end of the cold season
- more stable operation of the power system
But the issue has not completely disappeared – some businesses are still losing working hours due to outages.
Reduction in demand
- the indicator decreased from 29% to 25%
This is one of the few positive signals: the market is gradually stabilizing, and demand is no longer falling as sharply as before.
Pressure and corruption
- only 3-4% of entrepreneurs call this a problem
Against the backdrop of the personnel crisis, this factor seems almost imperceptible.
What are the advantages of official employment in Ukraine?
The main innovation of the draft Labor Code is the focus on the state's interest in maximally ensuring the possibility of official employment for the population, Vasyl Voskoboynyk said in a commentary on Channel 24. In return, people will receive social protection and seniority for a future pension.
Vasyl Voskoboynyk
Head of the Migration Policy Office, President of the All-Ukrainian Association of International Employment Companies
The push for official employment should be the understanding that when a person pays taxes, he has social protection from the state, he can receive sick leave, and count on vacation pay. Everything must be done in such a way that working officially is profitable, so that it is built not just on some slogans, but on the fact that a person understands why his official work will be more useful than illegal employment.
The new Labor Code will not directly solve the problem of informal employment, as it belongs more to the sphere of taxation and concerns the vision of economic development, adds Vasyl Voskoboynyk. According to the expert, cheap labor should not be an advantage for Ukraine , instead, it should focus on creating high-paying jobs.
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Labor market news 2026 in Ukraine
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Ukraine is facing a shortage of workers, especially in construction, trade, services and technical professions, but people aged 55+ are often ignored. More than half of companies in construction admit that the shortage of workers is hindering their development.
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The main reasons for employee layoffs in Ukraine are: salary (31%), mobilization (24%), burnout (16%), etc. Companies try to retain employees through salary increases (27%), flexible work formats (6%).