Ukraine will need millions of workers: which professions will be in highest demand

The Ukrainian labor market is already experiencing a shortage of personnel practically in all sectors, and over the next decade, the economy may need around 4.5 million workers. There is a particularly high demand for representatives of working and technical professions, writes the Office of Migration Policy of Ukraine.

Companies are looking for carpenters, plumbers, and millers. At the same time, there is a labor shortage in healthcare, education, logistics, agriculture, and construction.

Which workers will Ukraine need the most

The president of the All-Ukrainian Association of International Employment Companies and the head of the NGO Office of Migration Policy Vasyl Voskoboynik notes that the current situation has been forming for years. Among the reasons, he cites labor migration, demographic decline, the departure of Ukrainians after the start of the war, and mobilization.

A separate problem has become the decline in the prestige of working professions. As a result, experienced specialists are aging, while there are not enough young workers to pass on their knowledge and skills.

At the same time, technological development will change the structure of demand. Part of the tasks of programmers can be automated, while the work of a plumber, electrician, or another craftsman cannot be done remotely. At the same time, there will be an increasing need for specialists who combine programming with engineering and automation, in particular in mechatronics.

Why a diploma does not guarantee young people a job

Young Ukrainians traditionally choose programming, law, finance, marketing, management, and philology. However, employers increasingly need engineers, energy specialists, and workers who can operate modern industrial equipment.

Colleges also maintain interest in applied specialties. Young people choose professions such as auto mechanic, hairdresser, and baker, considering the possibility of finding a job faster after graduation.

«Simply drawing posters and calling everyone to enroll in colleges will not work», emphasized Vasyl Voskoboynik.

According to him, a future worker must understand the entire professional path: where they will live during their studies, what equipment they will be trained on, where they will undergo internships, who will be a potential employer, and what salary they can expect.

One solution could be the development of dual education, where theoretical training is combined with practical experience directly at the enterprise.

The assessment of the need for 4.5 million workers over the next ten years does not mean that such a number of vacancies is already open. It pertains to the projected scale of labor needs due to the aging of current workers and the creation of new jobs.