Ukraine War: A third of Ukraine's jobs lost

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Destroyed houses in downtown Kyiv

Photo: Mohammad Javad Abjoushak / dpa

The Russian attack on Ukraine has already claimed thousands of lives, but the war is also increasingly destroying economic life.

According to the International Labor Organization (ILO), around 4.8 million jobs have been lost so far.

The job losses accounted for about 30 percent of the Ukrainian working population before the war began, according to the UN organization.

If the war lasts longer, the number of jobs lost could increase to seven million.

»Massive losses in employment and income«

The ILO pointed out that the conflict had largely paralyzed Ukraine's economy, choked off exports and forced millions of people to flee.

"The economic disruptions are leading to massive losses in employment and income," according to the study.

"Russian aggression in Ukraine has led to a devastating humanitarian crisis, triggering the fastest forced population movement since World War II."

About 44 million people lived in Ukraine before the war.

More than five million people have fled abroad because of the Russian attack.

Most of the refugees have found refuge in neighboring countries such as Poland and Romania.

Most of them were women and children.

An estimated 1.2 million of the refugees were in employment prior to the invasion, according to the ILO.

If the war lasts longer, this will put ongoing pressure on the labor markets and welfare systems in the affected countries and will likely drive up unemployment.

The study cites Poland as an example: "If you add these refugees to the unemployed, the unemployment rate would rise from three percent to 5.3 percent," it says.

Survey in Poland: Majority of companies plan not to hire Ukrainians

So far, Poland has taken in around three million refugees.

A recent survey by the University of Warsaw shows where there are hurdles.

Three-fourths of the Ukrainians who fled to the neighboring country state that they "do not have" or have a weak knowledge of Polish.

The respondents named Russian and English as the most important languages ​​– only then did Polish follow.

At the same time, integration does not seem to be a primary goal for many refugees: 56 percent stated that they wanted to return to Ukraine “as soon as possible”.

Only seven percent wanted to settle down permanently in Poland.

Polish companies also show reluctance when it comes to hiring refugees from Ukraine.

According to the survey in April, almost a third were considering hiring Ukrainian refugees.

However, twice as many said that they currently have no such plans.

According to the results of the survey, job opportunities exist primarily in large companies, and especially in construction and production.

The willingness of many refugees to return quickly could still be decisive for the future of Ukraine.

According to the ILO, 3.4 million jobs could quickly be restored in the country in the event of a ceasefire.

Downturn in Russia could also affect Central Asian countries

At the same time, the organization warns that the war could also affect countries in Central Asia.

Many rely heavily on remittances from migrant workers working in Russia.

An economic downturn in Russia could result in migrant workers losing their jobs and returning home, the ILO says.

The organization cites Western sanctions and the cost of the war as possible triggers.

But the war did not only have consequences in the region.

The conflict is already exacerbating the rise in food and energy prices around the world.

Many countries are already fearing a lack of important grain imports from Russia and Ukraine.

In recent weeks, international organizations have increasingly warned of famine and growing inequality as a result.

The ILO now estimates that the EU states are less affected by the worst consequences of a downturn – but above all those countries that have already been marked by poverty and the consequences of the pandemic.

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