The situation with the labor shortage in Ukraine is becoming critical. Ukrainian enterprises, faced with a severe lack of qualified personnel, are increasingly turning to the recruitment of foreign workers. According to estimates from the International Labour Organization, the country may lack up to 8.7–8.8 million workers over the next ten years. This forecast takes into account the potential recovery of the economy after the end of hostilities, but the issue of staff shortages is relevant even now.
This is reported by Business • Media
Business is Seeking Workforce Abroad
Given the growing imbalance in the labor market, Ukrainian businesses are forced to look for employees outside the country. Oleg Penzin, head of the Economic Discussion Club, notes that some enterprises have already begun actively recruiting labor migrants. For example, one woodworking company in Transcarpathia recently hired 150 workers from Bangladesh. Companies in the construction sector are also actively utilizing foreign labor, ordering recruitment agencies to source candidates from India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh.
“According to the expert, Ukrainian employers are already ready to hire up to 400,000 – 450,000 foreigners per year.”
The Cost of Foreign Labor
Despite the high demand, attracting foreign specialists is associated with significant costs. Alexander Barsuk, head of the ‘Yaroslav’ group, points out that hiring one foreign worker costs enterprises approximately 32,000 hryvnias (about 755 US dollars), taking into account all associated expenses. These costs include not only salaries but also the organization of relocation, adaptation, and document processing.
It is expected that in the future, the need for workers from abroad will only grow, as the recovery of the economy and the development of infrastructure will require even more labor resources. Ukrainian companies are already preparing for large-scale recruitment of labor migrants to ensure stable operations and growth of their enterprises.