The main question is: Who will rebuild the country if it is already short of up to 10 million workers today?
Odile Renaud-Basso, President of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, stated that if the projects are successfully implemented, Ukraine could have one of the most modern infrastructures in Europe. At the same time, new roads, bridges, schools, hospitals, and energy facilities alone will not solve the main problem—the shortage of people to work in the economy, according to DW.
Ukraine already faces a shortage of 8 to 10 million workers. According to data from the KSE Institute think tank, there are currently about 210,000 job openings in the country. The greatest labor shortages are observed in Kyiv, the Kyiv region, and Lviv, while electricians, repair specialists, and blue-collar workers remain in the highest demand.
There are 4.3 million Ukrainian refugees in the EU
According to Eurostat, as of the end of April 2026, there were more than 4.3 million Ukrainian refugees in European Union countries who had left the country after the war began. Each of them represents a loss for Ukraine of potential taxpayers, workers, and contributors to the pension system, which directly affects the pace of economic recovery.
Experts suggest moving away from an approach that relies solely on the full return of Ukrainians to their homeland.
Philippe Leclerc, director of the regional office of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Europe, believes it is necessary to create more flexible conditions that allow people to live and work in several countries at once while maintaining economic ties with Ukraine.
According to Peter van Roya, Program Director for Europe and Central Asia at the International Labor Organization, Ukrainian legislation should take into account various formats for the return of citizens, including part-time employment and flexible work models, while ensuring social protection.
Experts also note that labor shortages are becoming a common problem across Europe. According to UN representatives, in the long term, Ukraine, like other European countries, may need to recruit foreign workers to fill staffing gaps.
