The Ukrainian labor market is facing a shortage of people in almost all blue-collar professions. 71% of industrial enterprises cite the lack of qualified personnel as the main challenge, while 30% are even lacking unskilled workers. Due to the shortage, wages for blue-collar professions are noticeably rising. This was reported by the president of the All-Ukrainian Association of Companies for International Employment, head of the NGO «Office of Migration Policy» Vasyl Voskoboynyk.
Which workers are most needed in Ukraine in 2026
According to Voskoboynyk, it is too early to speak about the complete disappearance of professions due to automation or artificial intelligence. Technology allows for the reduction of certain operations; however, in many fields it is impossible to replace a human.
«We lack people in almost all blue-collar professions. 71% of industrial enterprises in Ukraine report that the biggest challenge for them is the lack of qualified personnel,» — Voskoboynyk stated.
There is a particular need for builders, welders, carpenters, machinists, concrete workers, drivers, and plumbers. At the same time, the education and healthcare sectors are also affected: the country lacks university lecturers, teachers, doctors, and nurses.
A similar situation is demonstrated by the structure of the most needed professions in Ukraine, where among the deficient specialists there are drivers, builders, and qualified workers.
Artificial intelligence can help marketing or IT workers, but automating physical labor is significantly more challenging.
«How can you automate a plumber's job using artificial intelligence, who simply needs to come and fix a regular kitchen faucet?» — Voskoboynyk noted.
Why raising salaries does not solve the labor shortage
According to Voskoboynyk, last year the average salary in Ukraine rose by nearly 22%. Employers are trying to compete for people with higher pay, although productivity is not increasing at the same pace.
However, raising salaries does not create new specialists. If there are no qualified builders or welders on the market, employers have to compete for the already available workers.
There is a particularly noticeable gap with the budget sector. Voskoboynyk provided the example of a young specialist with a PhD, who after many years of education can start working at the National Academy of Sciences with a salary of about 12,000 UAH before taxes, or approximately 10,000 UAH net.
Such a difference in income, according to the expert, drives young people to seek jobs abroad. At the same time, the average salary of around 30,000 UAH should be assessed considering the significant differences between individual sectors.
Earlier, Inkorr reported that Ukraine needs labor migrants to overcome the shortage of workers and for post-war reconstruction.