Despite a labor shortage, 8 million Ukrainians remain unemployed, according to the Ministry of Economy.

In Ukraine, there are approximately 8 million people who do not participate in economic activities, indicating their absence from the labor market for various reasons. This was reported by Deputy Minister of Economy of Ukraine, Tatiana Berezhnaya, at the Kyiv International Economic Forum 2024. She emphasized that the government needs to focus on activating this segment of the population.

According to Berezhnaya, the issue of unemployment affects not only Ukraine but also many other countries, including those in Europe. This category often includes people with disabilities, veterans who have not found their place in the labor market, and women facing challenges in balancing family responsibilities with work.

The Deputy Minister noted that there is a shortage of personnel in various sectors. In 2023, employers complained about a lack of financial resources, but in 2024, the primary challenge has become the shortage of workers. According to the International Labour Organization, Ukraine needs to attract about 8.6 million additional specialists, while the Ministry of Economy estimates this number at 4.5 million.

Tatiana Berezhnaya added that among the promising sectors of the Ukrainian economy, the processing industry and high-tech industries will be particularly important. However, for GDP growth, efficiency and labor productivity remain critical.

"We understand that what the government needs to work on is not only creating an inclusive labor market that will bring back those who have left but also investing in labor productivity. Here, the area for collaboration between the government, business, and NGOs is to create more programs that will help Ukrainians become more competitive in the labor market," she stated.

As an example of stimulating labor activity, she recalled the retraining voucher program from the Ukrainian platform Coursera, which offers over 30,000 scholarships. Additionally, Berezhnaya noted that attracting women to economic activities is an important step.

It’s worth mentioning that during 2024, half a million people will leave Ukraine: the NBU has outlined the reasons. The emigration of Ukrainians abroad will negatively impact the supply of labor in the job market and reduce potential consumer demand.