Ukraine is facing its most acute labor shortage since independence. Mobilization and emigration have reduced the country’s labor force by more than a quarter. IREX and EasyBusiness examined how Ukraine’s labor market is being transformed by the war.

Based on the research, the team prepared a series of labor market profiles for five sectors that are critical for recovery: construction, logistics, energy, manufacturing, and technology. These sectors are strategically important for Ukraine’s economic recovery and modernization, yet they have been heavily affected by the war and face a severe shortage of workers and skilled talent.

• Ukraine’s Construction Sector
• Ukraine’s Logistics Sector
• Ukraine’s Energy Sector
• Ukraine’s Manufacturing Sector
• Ukraine’s Technology Sector

In addition to the latest labor market data, the sectoral analysis provides practical recommendations for the government, employers, and investors to help address labor shortages and accelerate economic growth.

What does the report include?

• Sector snapshots with labor demand trends, regional data, and priority workforce roles
• Diagnostics of challenges: where pathways from education to employment are breaking down—and potential solutions
• Practical recommendations, including youth workforce programs, mobility support, short intensive training formats, targeted incentives, and training/mentorship models

Key findings by sector

Construction: rebuilding the workforce for recovery

• Operating at 60% of pre-war capacity
• 2.4 vacancies per candidate — the most severe shortages are in western regions

Logistics: unlocking the path to recovery

• Freight transport is rebounding (+3% in 2023; +18% in early 2024)
• High vacancy rates in Kyiv and Lviv
• An oversupply of jobseekers in eastern Ukraine

Energy: specialized skills for grid reliability and the green transition

• Around 10 GW of generation capacity lost due to large-scale strikes and targeted shelling
• Shortages of electricians, dispatchers, and digital systems specialists—posing risks to grid reliability and modernization

Manufacturing: a split between heavy and light industry

• Metallurgy: 4.6 vacancies per candidate and a sharp decline in jobs
• Light industry: high adaptability, with relocations to central and western regions

ICT: an oversupply of junior talent, shortage of experienced specialists

• A key export engine for Ukraine
• No critical overall staffing deficit
• The pipeline of junior specialists is saturated
• Competition is increasing for qualified professionals in certain subsectors.