Ukraine’s post-war labour dilemma: Who will fill the jobs?
Discussions are beginning to grow with regards to the shape of Ukraine following the end of Russia’s current invasion. This is particularly true regarding the economy, as well as the labour force that will power reconstruction. While experts all agree on a need for new thinking, the future in this sphere remains uncertain.
February 23, 2026 -
Stanislav Storozhenko
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Articles and CommentaryIssue 1-2 2026Magazine
Since 2022, the Ukrainian economy has suffered so many hits that it is now virtually incapable of functioning independently without cash injections from other countries. The destruction of Ukrainian industry, and even entire regions, along with the outflow of millions of citizens, is already forcing Kyiv to develop a vision for a new, economically-reformatted version of the state after the end of the hot phase of the full-scale invasion. While Ukraine has already faced changes in its economic structure, the problem of labour shortages will only grow with each day of peaceful life, and here the Ukrainian authorities are already proposing a solution: attracting migrant workers. According to Tetiana Berezhna, a former deputy minister of economy, over the next ten years, the country will be forced to invite about 4.5 million people, and this process has already de facto begun. Citizens from India, Bangladesh, and other Asian countries are increasingly and more actively finding employment in Ukraine.
Thus, for the first time in decades, Ukraine is facing a previously unimaginable reality: a country from which millions have left over the past 30 years is beginning to need millions of new workers from abroad. But is this migration shift a temporary measure, or is it a symptom of a profound post-war transformation of the state, the consequences of which will determine not only the economy but also the social landscape of the country for years to come?
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