The unemployment rate in Ukraine in 2026 will decrease to 10.2% compared to 11.6% in 2025. In 2027, it is expected to be at the level of 11.3%. At the same time, employers continue to experience a shortage of personnel.
This was announced by the Chairman of the Council Committee on Finance, Tax and Customs Policy Danylo Hetmantsev (“Servant of the People”), based on the forecasts of the International Monetary Fund, writes РrofВuild.
At the end of June 2026, 93.1 thousand unemployed people were registered in Ukraine, which is 2.2% less than a year ago, and 1.3% less than in May. In total, 220.6 thousand people had the status of unemployed during the first half of the year, which is 2.8% less than in the same period last year.
Read also: The shortage of personnel forces employers to raise salaries and hire young people without experience
He clarified that the IMF assesses unemployment in the country as a whole according to the methodology of the International Labor Organization, and the current statistics cover only people who have officially registered as unemployed.
“Therefore, a decrease in the number of registered unemployed does not mean that the same number of people have found a job: the status can be terminated, for example, due to enrollment in studies, the appointment of a pension, or at the request of the person himself,” explained Getmantsev.
At the same time, a significant imbalance remains in the labor market. At the end of June, there were 63.2 thousand vacancies in the database of the State Employment Service – approximately 2 for every 3 registered unemployed.
“But employers continue to experience a shortage of personnel, especially qualified ones. The skills of job seekers do not always meet the requirements of vacancies,” the People’s Deputy noted.
Regional dynamics also vary. Compared to June 2025, the number of registered unemployed has increased significantly in the following regions:
Ivano-Frankivsk (+19.4%),
Ternopil (+16.2%),
Chernivtsi (+12%),
Lviv (+10%)
Volyn (+7.2%).
On the other hand, the indicators decreased in the following regions:
Rivne region — by 9.1%
Poltava — by 6.9%
Kyiv — by 4.6%.
The People’s Deputy called the movement of people between regions, the structure of the local economy, and the demand of employers the key factors in this difference in the situation.
