The year 2023 has become a challenge for Ukraine in many ways. And the labor market is no exception. Before the Russian invasion, unemployment in Ukraine was 10%, compared to 7% in the EU. The main areas of employment in Ukraine were trade, agriculture, industry, education, and healthcare.
However, a substantial part of the southeastern regions of Ukraine became a battlefield one way or another, depriving millions of usual life and their jobs. Jobs were cut by almost a third in the first months of the war. Fortunately, the situation began to improve by the end of 2022 with the unemployment rate falling to 15.5%, according to the International Labor Organization.
Among the many factors that affected the labor market, mobilization became one of the most significant ones. 83% of companies in Ukraine were involved in mobilization, and in half of those, every tenth employee has been mobilized. The percentage was even higher for highly skilled professionals such as engineers, IT specialists, electricians, etc.
Nevertheless, competition in the market remains high. On average, 4 applicants per vacancy, according to Ukraine’s State Employment Service, rising to 8 per vacancy in trade. The most serious competition is observed in the financial and insurance sectors, reaching up to 24 applicants per vacancy.
According to the Ukraine’s State Employment Service, one of the main challenges in the labor market is a skill mismatch and certain disproportions between the demand and supply of labor.
Currently, manual workers are in the highest demand. However, among the registered unemployed, 43% have a higher education on average, exceeding 60% in some large cities.
Despite the challenges, Ukraine does not lose hope for the future. UkraineInvest actively attracts and supports investment projects, raising the country’s economy to a new level. It is worth emphasizing that the war is not an obstacle to investment activity in the country. The businesses that start planning their projects now are likely to become pioneers in the recovery after the victory.
At this decisive time, WhatJobs, an international job search platform already operating in 66 countries, plans to launch in Ukraine at the end of 2023. WhatJobs launch in Ukraine is a major factor in the labor market recovery. WhatJobs could play a pivotal role in mitigating unemployment and aiding career shifts, especially during such demanding times in Ukraine. Founded in 2011 by Alex Paterson as AdView, the jobs-platform became one of the fastest growing international job search platforms. By offering a robust platform that not only lists job opportunities but also provides a knowledge hub through its WhatJobs News platform, started in UK last year, it will ensure that Ukrainians are well-informed about global and local labor market trends, ensuring they can make astute career choices even amidst the chaos. This could particularly be beneficial in tailoring educational and skill-development programs to better match available job opportunities, ultimately addressing the skill mismatch problem to a certain degree.
Moreover, the global perspective of WhatJobs can serve as a lens through which Ukrainians can observe and adapt to international employment trends, potentially finding opportunities abroad. Furthermore, international companies can leverage WhatJobs to discover talent within Ukraine, thus supporting remote working and potentially bringing more investment into the country, indirectly aiding its economy.
Analysing the background, it’s noticeable that the company’s global development is of great importance to WhatJobs. The opening of an office in Italy in 2021 and the appointment of a new leader, Heiko Zeichner, symbolized big changes. The company demonstrated its strategic interest in markets outside the UK, especially in Ukraine, where the war has dynamically shifted the employment ecosystem. WhatJobs perfectly suits the war-torn Ukrainian labor market and unemployment challenges as it connects job seekers and employers from over 30 countries, that may positively influence on the Ukraine’s employment sector.
The year 2023 and upcoming 2024 brings new challenges and hopes for Ukraine. Despite the difficulties, the country moves forward, looking for opportunities to recover and grow. The attraction of key international job-platforms like WhatJobs speads the optimism and helps Ukraine to adapt to the new reality and globalize faster.
