In Ukraine, attracting labor migrants is currently not considered a priority direction. Instead, the government is focusing on the return of Ukrainians from abroad and on involving young people, older individuals, and those who are currently not working in the labor market. This was stated by Minister of Economy, Environment and Agriculture Oleksii Sobolev in an interview with media.
Source: OBOZREVATEL
According to him, the main challenge for the economy remains a severe labor shortage.
Sobolev noted that to ensure annual economic growth at around 7%, Ukraine will need about 4.5 million additional workers over the next ten years.
Currently, around 30 million people live in the government-controlled territory, but only 10.5 million are officially employed. Another 2.6 million work in the informal sector.
At the same time, about 18 million people remain outside the labor market, including children and youth, pensioners, people with disabilities, and other groups.
The Ministry of Economy believes that at least 2 million people could be brought into the labor force through internal reserves. This primarily includes young people, those aged 50+, informally employed workers, and individuals who are currently not engaged in work or service.
A separate focus of the government is the return of Ukrainians who left the country after the start of the full-scale war. It is estimated that more than 6 million citizens are currently abroad.
To encourage returns, the state is conducting sociological research and identifying key conditions, including financial relocation support, affordable housing, education for children, healthcare services, and guaranteed employment.
According to the minister, providing jobs for returnees is not seen as a problem. The Ministry of Social Policy is also opening Ukrainian hubs abroad to maintain contact with citizens and prepare return programs.
Despite the growing number of foreign workers in Ukraine, the government does not consider active recruitment of labor migrants to be a key tool for addressing the labor shortage. “No,” Sobolev briefly answered when asked about the priority of this direction, emphasizing the need to first utilize the country’s internal potential.
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