Cherkasy Turns to Foreign Labor for Road Repairs
Mayor Anatoliy Bondarenko announced at a city council briefing that a company awarded road repair contracts in Cherkasy is securing work visas for ten foreign employees. These workers are expected to arrive in the city within one to two weeks. This move addresses a labor shortage that extends beyond road maintenance to affect Cherkasy's municipal services as well.
Workforce Shortage Hits Cherkasy
The labor deficit in Cherkasy has spread beyond roadwork, with municipal enterprises struggling to find mechanics, repair workers, and street cleaners. To cope, the city has increasingly hired women for street cleaning duties. According to the State Employment Center, the main drivers of this nationwide shortage include war, military mobilization, and population migration.
- war
- mobilization
- migration
This is not an isolated issue. In Ivano-Frankivsk, the company 'Blaho' has also brought in labor migrants from India for construction projects, confirming that these foreign workers are officially employed and monitored by migration authorities.
The International Labour Organization projects that Ukraine's labor market will face a shortage of 8.6 million people over the next decade.
“I’ll let you in on a secret. The company that won the bids for asphalt roadwork in Cherkasy is now bringing in about 10 foreign workers on work visas,” said Anatoliy Bondarenko.
“I think you’ll see foreign workers in Cherkasy within a week or two,” he added.
Cherkasy's recruitment of foreign labor reflects a broader trend across Ukraine, where many industries grapple with severe workforce gaps due to socioeconomic shifts caused by war and labor migration. While such practices may offer short-term relief, long-term solutions will require a comprehensive strategy to develop domestic talent.