Legal labor migration to Ukraine totaled approximately 10,000 workers over the course of the year
In 2025, official employers in Ukraine issued 9,582 work permits for foreign nationals and stateless persons. At the same time, during this same period, authorized bodies revoked 3,310 previously issued permits. Thus, the net increase in the number of officially registered foreign workers who remained employed in the Ukrainian economy over the year was 6,272 people.
Despite the positive trend compared to the early years of the full-scale invasion, current levels of foreign labor recruitment are insufficient to compensate for the acute labor shortage in the country.
According to estimates by government analysts and economists, for the full recovery and stable functioning of the national economy, Ukraine’s labor market currently requires the additional recruitment of approximately 4.5 million workers. The current annual net inflow of legal migrants covers only a critically small 0.14% of this total national need.
The dynamics of permit issuance by the State Employment Service show the following trends:
Until 2022 (pre-war period): Ukrainian employers consistently received about 21,000 work permits for foreign citizens each year.
2024: A drop to the lowest levels was recorded—only 4,720 permits were officially issued.
2025: The situation improved somewhat, and the agency noted a rise in business interest, reporting the issuance of 7,483 permits (according to the service’s internal verification).
At the same time, the State Migration Service of Ukraine released its own statistics. According to the agency, as of December 31, 2025, there were a total of 47,684 foreigners and stateless persons with temporary resident status officially registered in the country. Specifically, during 2025, the migration authorities processed and issued 8,440 new temporary residence permits in Ukraine for the first time, a significant portion of which are related specifically to employment, volunteer work, and participation in humanitarian recovery projects.
This was reported by Interfax-Ukraine, citing a government source.
The State Migration Service deniedclaims of a mass influx of labor migrants into Ukraine.
Migrationto Ukraine: Is there really a plan for the “great replacement” of Ukrainians?
The State Migration Service recorded the first reports of the alleged replacement of Ukrainians in the labor market by migrants at the end of January 2025.
