The large influx of people from Ukraine was seen as a huge opportunity for states which are currently facing labour shortages – such as Poland, Slovakia or Czechia. However, this chance could be easily missed. [Shutterstock/Pixel-Shot]
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Ukrainians coming to EU countries following Russia’s invasion could fill significant gaps in national labour markets, but their possible massive return to Ukraine or competition among EU countries is causing employers headaches.
Around 4.8 million people from Ukraine benefit from the temporary protection mechanism, which grants them access to the EU countries’ labour markets. Moreover, 1.5 million Ukrainian citizens were authorised to stay in the EU before the war.
The large influx of people from Ukraine was seen as a huge opportunity for states currently facing labour shortages – such as Poland, Slovakia or Czechia. However, this chance could be easily missed.
“The refugee influx from Ukraine after 24 February 2022 was definitely a chance to fill staffing gaps for the companies struggling to find employees with relevant competencies,” said Nadia Kurtieva, Senior Employment Specialist at Polish Confederation Lewiatan business group.
Most refugees got employed in the production, catering, services, IT and communication sectors.
Ukrainian employees – both newcomers and those who arrived in the country before the war – are valued by Polish companies. “The problem, however, may be that Poland also has to compete for Ukrainian workers with other EU countries, such as Germany,” Szymon Witkowski, an expert at the Department of Law and Legislation in Polish Union of Entrepreneurs and Employers (ZPP), said.
Slovakia has similar concerns. According to Katarína Tešla, PR manager of Kariéra.sk job portal, Ukrainians helped the Slovak labour market, filling jobs Slovak were not interested in. This has been exceptionally felt in HORECA sectors as businesses struggled with a lack of employees after the pandemic.
Ukrainians also found jobs in logistics, construction or manufacturing. However, more qualified employees tend to not stay in Slovakia and only pass through the country while looking for a career in the western EU countries, where they can get better salaries and higher living standards, Tešla explained.
