Ukraine will need millions of workers by 2036: who will close the labor shortage

The Ukrainian economy may need over 2.6 million new workers over the next decade, but it will not be possible to fill the shortage solely with foreigners. Already, 71% of industrial enterprises lack personnel. This was reported by Vasyl Voskoboinyk, head of the NGO "Migration Policy Office".

Why Ukraine will need over 2.6 million workers

According to Serhiy Babak, head of the parliamentary committee on education, by 2036 the Ukrainian labor market will need over 2.6 million new workers. The highest demand will be for skilled workers, technical specialists, and engineers.

The need for workers may increase particularly quickly in construction due to future reconstruction. Additional personnel will also be needed in industry, healthcare, scientific and technical fields, and the social sector.

Voskoboinyk emphasizes that the forecast does not mean the appearance of over 2.6 million completely new jobs. Some workers will retire, leave the labor market, or emigrate from the country over the decade, so a significant part of the demand will consist of replacing people.

One possible source of workers will be Ukrainians returning from abroad. According to the expert, what is needed for this are not administrative restrictions on leaving, but housing, competitive salaries, jobs, and career development opportunities.

«It is necessary to do everything possible to make it interesting for them to return to Ukraine, so that they see the sense in returning to Ukraine», — explained Voskoboinyk.

Automation could also reduce the demand for workers. Some manual labor can be replaced by technology, robotics, and improving productivity. However, even salary increases already do not guarantee employers candidates.

Will labor migrants save Ukraine

According to Voskoboinyk, Ukraine will still have to attract foreign workers, but selectively. For example, if an enterprise cannot find a chief engineer, inviting a qualified specialist from another country may allow production to continue.

«No labor migrants will save our economy. Just as Ukrainians returning will not save our economy», — the expert emphasized.

He believes that the problem can only be solved by combining several tools: reducing emigration, returning some Ukrainians, automating production, increasing productivity, and attracting foreign specialists where internal resources are insufficient.

Voskoboinyk does not expect a massive influx of workers from other countries. In the coming years, Ukraine is unlikely to compete for migrants with Poland, the Czech Republic, and other EU countries in terms of salary levels and social protection.

This is also confirmed by the current scale of labor migration: in 2025, approximately 9,500 work permits were issued to foreigners, while in 2021 there were about 22,000.

Let us remind you, earlier Inkorr wrote why without labor migrants reconstruction will be complicated due to a lack of workforce.