During the full-scale invasion, the construction industry lost 100,000 workers, and the adoption by parliament of a rule on reservation of employees with an income above the average salary will lead to a further increase in the personnel shortage, says President of the Confederation of Employers of Ukraine Oleksiy Miroshnychenko.

“Some 78% of workers in the construction industry receive wages below UAH 15,000 - this is less than the average salary, which is about UAH 17,000. If you reserve workers depending on the salary level, then construction industry enterprises will not be able to retain employees on construction sites. A compromise must be sought,” Miroshnychenko is quoted as saying in the press release.

He emphasized that the criterion for reservation should be the qualifications of the employees and their importance to the operation of the enterprise.

“There are specialists without whom the company will simply stop if the company does not have the funds to make reservations,” the expert explained.

Miroshnychenko pointed out that the parliament and the government must find a middle ground on the issue of reservation in order to both preserve the economy and ensure the budget is filled. In addition, it is important to take into account the shadow labor market, which is growing due to people avoiding official employment.