ISSN 2786-4561 (printed)
ISSN 2786-457X (online)

Vol.6.2 (2025). рр. 39-49

The labor market of Ukraine during the war: regional aspects and challenges

Provotar N. I.

https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2211-6509

Bohelska O. I.

https://orcid.org/0009-0007-1233-973X
Taras Shevchenko National University, Kyiv, Ukraine
https://doi.org/10.17721/2786-4561.2025.6.2.-5/15

Annotation.Military actions, urbicide, loss of housing and jobs caused a massive migration of the population abroad and forced displacement between regions of Ukraine, which led to the emergence of new processes in the labor market of Ukraine and significant changes in the situation of regional labor markets. When writing the article, comparative statistical and cartographic methods, grouping, cluster analysis, semi-structured interview method and SWOT analysis were used. The article is devoted to the study of the impact of the war on the labor market of Ukraine and the identification of challenges and needs of vulnerable categories of the population in regional labor markets. The paper identifies modern features of the labor market of Ukraine. It was found that the special and most vulnerable categories in the labor market of Ukraine are currently youth, persons with disabilities, forcibly displaced persons and participants in hostilities. Using the cluster analysis method, five clusters of regional labor markets were identified according to the features of employment, vocational training and performance of socially useful works by vulnerable categories of the population. Based on interviews with participants of the Career Festival-2025 in Kyiv, labor market problems and opportunities for workers to adapt to war conditions were identified. A SWOT analysis was developed and the advantages and disadvantages, threats and opportunities of the labor market during wartime were identified. It was determined that to overcome the challenges of the Ukrainian labor market, it is important to focus on retraining and improving the skills of the workforce, as well as on creating incentives for attracting young people and returning qualified specialists who have left the country.

Keywords: labor market, regions, vulnerable population groups, cluster analysis, interview, war, Ukraine
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