Since the start of Russia’s large-scale invasion of Ukraine, more than 10 million people have been displaced, either within Ukraine or abroad. Labour market integration of internally and externally displaced individuals remains challenging. While many immediate measures were undertaken in Ukraine and in host countries to support displaced Ukrainians, longer-term solutions are needed to enhance their human capital, and allow them not only to integrate into their receiving communities but also contribute to the recovery of Ukraine.
Key messages
• Russia’s large-scale invasion of Ukraine has caused Europe’s largest displacement crisis since World War II. As of April 2024, there were 3.5 million officially registered internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Ukraine, in addition to 1.4 million IDPs registered prior to February 2022, with further 4.9 million Ukrainians displaced abroad in OECD countries alone.
• The profiles of internally and externally displaced Ukrainians differ in terms of gender and age: there are more women and children among the externally displaced, while the elderly make up a larger share of the internally displaced (28% compared to 4-6% among those abroad). Externally displaced also have higher levels of education as compared to Ukrainians in Ukraine, and to host country populations.
• Displaced Ukrainians generally have lower employment levels than those observed in host communities, and face skill mismatches. This raises concerns about underutilisation and degradation of their human capital. This has led Ukraine, host states, social partners and other actors to implement measures to help displaced persons retain, use, and develop their skills.
• Current efforts to boost the human capital of displaced Ukrainians are diverse and could benefit from scaling up, enhancing sustainability, sharing information, improving access, as well as increasing stakeholder co-ordination and co-operation
Read more on OECD