LABOUR MARKET TRENDS IN UKRAINE DURING THE WAR: A SOCIO-GEOGRAPHICAL PERSPECTIVE

Abstract

The article examines contemporary trends in the development of the labour market in Ukraine under conditions of the full-scale war from a socio-geographical perspective. The purpose of the study is to identify key structural, dynamic and spatial transformations of the Ukrainian labour market during the wartime period and to interpret their regional manifestations. The methodological framework of the research is based on the principles of socio-geographical analysis of the territorial organization of labour markets, which allows the labour market to be considered as a spatial socio-economic system of interaction between labour supply and labour demand. The empirical basis of the study includes statistical data of the State Employment Service of Ukraine, analytical reports of international organizations and findings of recent academic research. The results indicate that the full-scale war has caused profound transformations in the labour market, reflected in the reduction of the economically active population, intensification of internal and external migration processes, changes in the structure of employment and increasing regional disparities. It is shown that after the sharp increase in unemployment in 2022 the Ukrainian labour market gradually evolved into a model of structural imbalances, where declining unemployment rates coexist with labour shortages and skill mismatches between labour supply and employers’ demand. The study identifies key structural characteristics of registered unemployment, including gender asymmetry, age concentration and a significant share of individuals with higher and vocational education. Internal migration and the integration of internally displaced persons have become important factors shaping regional labour market dynamics. It is substantiated that business relocation has become one of the major drivers of the spatial restructuring of economic activity, contributing to the redistribution of jobs among regions of Ukraine and the emergence of new centres of economic activity. Large cities are identified as major poles of labour market transformation, concentrating economic activity, labour resources and entrepreneurship while simultaneously generating new challenges related to housing accessibility and labour market competition. It is concluded that current labour market trends in Ukraine are shaped by the interaction of economic, demographic and spatial factors. Further research should focus on the typology of regional labour markets and the analysis of spatial disparities in employment