To ensure GDP growth, Ukraine lacks 4.5 million workers, who are absent due to the war and migration

Ukraine faces a workforce shortage: an additional 4.5 million workers are needed to ensure an annual GDP growth of 7% by 2030.

This was reported by Deputy Minister of Economy Tatyana Berezhnaya at a meeting with IMF representatives, as mentioned in a publication by the Ministry of Economy.

Due to the war and migration, Ukraine has developed a workforce deficit and structural unemployment. While the official labor market included 11.5 million workers in 2021, this number decreased to 9 million in 2023.

“According to preliminary calculations, to ensure an annual GDP growth of 7% by 2030, we need an additional 4.5 million workers,” Berezhnaya noted.

To address the problem of structural unemployment, the state is helping people adapt to changes in labor market demand. This includes offering new and necessary professions through training programs or skill improvement courses. The publication also mentioned that work on modernizing labor legislation is nearing completion. The adoption of this project will contribute to improving the labor market situation, Berezhnaya assured.

Regarding GDP macro-indicators, it grew by 4.1% over the first six months, with an annual growth rate expected to be 3.5%.