Due to Russia’s armed aggression, about 6.9 million Ukrainians were forced to seek refuge abroad. One of the consequences of this was the labour imbalance — a huge human potential left our country.
In Europe, our citizens lack jobs. They often face discrimination. At the same time, Ukraine has a shortage of labour in key industries. This labour balance is a serious challenge for the state.
To find out what challenges Ukrainians face in other countries, the Ombudsman’s Office and Cedos think tank, with the support of the Council of Europe, have prepared an analytical report “Forced Displacement Abroad“.
Read also: Labour market 2025: key trends and forecasts
The study showed that only 56% of respondents had work experience in the host country. For 50% of Ukrainians surveyed, the main source of income was work in the host country. At the same time, 21% of respondents were looking for a job. We also concluded that the unemployment rate among internally displaced people from Ukraine was significantly higher than the average unemployment rate in the country where the assessment was conducted!
So why is it difficult for our citizens to find a job? Many Ukrainians do not speak the local language at a sufficient level, so they have limited access to skilled or stable jobs. In addition, the recognition of Ukrainian education often takes time, translation of documents, and sometimes additional courses or exams. Another reason is that in a number of European countries, priority in employment is frequently given to EU citizens. Ukrainian workers frequently face exploitation, lack of social protection, or are forced to work unofficially.
Meanwhile, Ukraine is facing an acute shortage of skilled workers in key areas of construction and infrastructure, healthcare, education, transport and logistics, agriculture, and the defence industry.
Read also: Where can a veteran go for help? Rehabilitation centres in Ukraine
In Ukraine, there are tens of thousands of open vacancies for which there is simply no one to work. That is why I believe that changes are needed to facilitate the return of our people, in particular by improving the labour market.
Changes are needed in the work of employment centres and to bring their approaches closer to EU standards. Among these steps is the expansion of internship programmes in areas where there is an acute shortage of specialists. Ukrainians returning home should be given a chance to quickly learn and find work.
It is equally important to create favourable conditions for those who plan to build their future in Ukraine: entrepreneurs and young professionals. They require business benefits, training and retraining opportunities. I have sent the relevant recommendations to the authorities, including the Prime Minister.
The Ministry of Economy of Ukraine has submitted a draft resolution to the Government on the digitalisation of processes in the State Employment Service and improvement of its activities. They plan to make job searching convenient: without paperwork, with digital services and fast real-time service.
The Single Job Portal was created for independent job search, with an average of more than 200,000 job offers. The portal combines information from the SES and six leading Ukrainian job search websites. The information on the resource is updated daily. In addition, citizens can receive microgrants to start or develop their own business.
These are positive changes. However, at a time when millions of Ukrainians are far from home or have lost their jobs, the state must be constantly involved in the realisation of the right to work: access to vacancies, support during the search, and development of entrepreneurship.
Read also: The humanitarian situation in Ukraine. Shelling, lack of funding and millions of people in need