Losing people, losing growth - New Eastern Europe

Over the past five years, Belarus has faced a shrinking labour market, which is a serious problem for its economic future. While demographic factors have played a role in this regard, it is the large-scale emigration of Belarusians that has had the most damaging effects.

December 7, 2025 –
Anastasiya Luzgina
–
Analysis Issue 6 2025 Magazine

A Belarusian worker at a metallurgical plant in Minsk. One of the most significant negative developments for the Belarusian economy over the past five years has been the contraction of the labour market.

Photo: OMfotovideocontent / Shutterstock

No economy can escape the pressure of a shrinking workforce. Even as automation, digitalization and artificial intelligence transform industries, human labour remains essential for economic activity. In fact, rather than reducing the need for people, technological progress has raised the bar: today’s economies rely more than ever on a pool of highly-skilled specialists. Belarus is no exception to this global trend. Yet, in recent years, the country has faced an additional difficulty: a sharp intensification of outward migration. Specifically, over the past five years, a growing number of Belarusians have left the country, which has further aggravated the already strained labour market.

Labour shortage

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belarus, labour shortage, migration, workforce

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Losing people, losing growth – New Eastern Europe