Ukraine is experiencing a severe labor shortage, currently estimated at around 30%. According to Vasyl Voskoboynyk, head of the “Office of Migration Policy,” the country lacks approximately 8.6-8.7 million workers. Despite this, labor migration to Ukraine remains relatively insignificant in scale.
This is reported by Business • Media
Number of Permits Issued and Critical Areas of Shortage
In the first half of 2025, only 4,000 work permits were issued to foreigners. Even if this number reaches 10,000 by the end of the year, it will cover only a small fraction of the overall demand for labor in the country. The sectors most affected by the labor shortage are education, healthcare, and construction, where about 40% of job vacancies remain unfilled. Businesses are increasingly reporting their inability to find new employees for open positions.
“This is a small number, even if by the end of the year 10,000 labor migrants receive work permits in Ukraine. This will only replace a tiny fraction of a percent of the total need for labor,” emphasized Voskoboynyk.
Attracting Foreigners and Labor Market Trends
In response to the personnel shortage, the Ukrainian labor market is gradually opening up to foreign citizens. In particular, workers from Bangladesh, Nepal, and Colombia are arriving in the country to help fill vacancies in the most problematic sectors. As of the beginning of the year, 306,000 foreigners were legally residing in Ukraine. However, these figures are still far from the level that could significantly change the situation regarding the labor shortage in the country.