How has the war transformed the labor market in Ukraine?

During 2023, employers informed employment centers about 329,000 vacancies. The structure of these vacancies is as follows:

1. 18% of vacancies – at processing industry enterprises
2. 16% – in wholesale and retail trade
3. 13% – in the field of education
4. 9% – in agriculture
5. 8% – in the field of health care
6. 8% – in public administration and defense
7. 7% – in the field of transportation

At the same time, according to the Employment Center, even though the total number of candidates exceeds the number of offers, employers feel a lack of qualified personnel. This contributes to significant competition between employers in the labor market – they are willing to pay more to qualified workers.

All in all, the general forecasts by specialists regarding Ukraine’s labor market are extremely pessimistic. If the government, lawmakers, donor organizations, and partner countries do not propose serious fundamental changes and programs, there is a serious danger that post-war Ukraine will be rebuilt by migrants from other countries.