After the end of the war, Ukraine will face a sharp labor shortage due to demographic losses and mass emigration. Active involvement of pensioners in the labor market may be a solution to the problem. This was stated by MP Yaroslav Zheleznyak.
Labor market in Ukraine: why workers will be lacking
Ukraine is already entering a phase of demographic crisis, which will only intensify after the war.
Among the key reasons:
- the departure of a significant part of the working-age population
- losses during the war
- aging of the nation
- almost an equal number of workers and pensioners.
«Today, there is exactly one pensioner for every worker», — emphasized Yaroslav Zheleznyak.
He also noted that raising the retirement age is not an effective solution and may provoke public resistance.
Pensioners in the labor market: what solutions are proposed
As an alternative to forced changes, the deputy suggests using economic incentives for businesses and workers themselves.
Among possible tools:
- tax benefits for companies that hire older people
- state compensation for part of wages
- retraining and reskilling programs
- combating age discrimination.
There are already similar practices in the world. For example:
- in Singapore, the government compensates up to 7% of the wages of workers aged 60+
- in Sweden, taxes are lowered for older people
- in Germany and Switzerland, there are retraining programs for individuals aged 50+.
Zheleznyak emphasizes that such approaches are more effective than administrative pressure.
At the same time, pensions in Ukraine remain low, which already forces many elderly people to work. The average pension is about 6.4 thousand UAH, while the average salary is over 27 thousand UAH.
Separately, the deputy pointed out the effectiveness of older workers. According to international research, they change jobs less often, are more responsible, and can demonstrate better results.
Among the examples:
- in the UK, a store with staff aged 50+ increased profits by 18%
- at BMW, the productivity of older workers increased by up to 7%.
According to Zheleznyak, without systemic changes, Ukraine risks facing a staff shortage already at the reconstruction stage. At the same time, it is not advisable to rely on the mass return of migrants or an influx of foreign labor.
Recall that economist Oleg Ustenko, in the broadcast of political scientist Yuri Romanenko, provided analytical calculations regarding the state of the labor market in Ukraine. The expert warns that in 20 years, the country will face a lack of labor force for recovery.