Ukrainian companies are moving away from searching for the perfect candidate with a ready-made set of skills. Faced with mobilization, migration, a mismatch between workers’ skills and the needs of the economy, businesses are training people from scratch, opening vacancies to new groups of workers, changing working conditions, and automating processes. Drivers, couriers, loaders, warehouse workers, and production staff are among the positions for which Ukrainian businesses are currently struggling to find qualified workers. In 2026, the labor shortage remains one of the main obstacles to business operations across the country, particularly in logistics, transportation, construction, manufacturing, and retail.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official. Whether businesses can find or train enough workers affects the pace at which stores and terminals can open, order fulfillment times, the quality of service, and the cost of goods and services. Employers are rethinking not only the requirements listed in job postings, but their entire approach to workforce management: who they are willing to hire, what they are prepared to teach, how they can retain employees, and which processes can be handed over to technology. More resumes, but the shortage persists At first glance, the labor market appears to be gradually improving. According to the National Bank of Ukraine (NBU), as reported in the Inflation Report for July 2026, the number of resumes posted on Work.ua increased by 26% in May 2026 as compared to May 2025, while the number of vacancies grew by just 4%. On average, there were 1.8 candidates per vacancy, compared with 1.5 a year earlier.