Director of the State Employment Center Yulia Zhovtiak says that today veterans make up only 2% of the total number of registered unemployed.

"To date, there are few veterans registered, they make up only 2% of the total number of unemployed who apply to us. Last year, it was only 1%. That is, now we can say that there are almost no combatants on the register," Zhovtiak said in an exclusive interview with Interfax-Ukraine.

At the same time, she noted that the department is preparing to accept them, in particular, it gives new skills to career advisers.

"There are several components, such as retraining and creating one’s own business for a combatant or for a member of his family. A survey conducted by the Ministry of Veterans Affairs last year shows that 62% of our military want to do their own business after demobilization, which is a very large percentage. Therefore, I think that the grant program for combatants and their family members, which we are implementing, will become very popular when people start contacting the Employment Service more," Zhovtiak said.

When asked if she observes prejudice among employers regarding the employment of veterans, the head of the department replied in the negative.

"For companies, the most important thing in the organization of their activities is the qualification and productivity of staff. I have not seen a single appeal from a combatant about the refusal of employment due to the status of a veteran," she said.

Zhovtiak noted that socially responsible employers are already preparing for the return of their employees who have been mobilized, and through government programs or on their own, they give new skills to employees regarding cooperation with participants in hostilities.

"Although I hear from the combatants themselves, with whom I communicate, that they do not want a ‘special treatment.’ And I agree with this - we just have to treat every person with respect, and veterans with even more," the head of the department summed up.

As reported, head of the National Agency for Civil Service Natalia Aliushina believes that in the future, veterans with equal qualifications should have an advantage in employment in the civil service.

Cabinet Minister Oleh Nemchynov believes that it is necessary to attract veterans to civil service vacancies, but it is not worth introducing preferences when participating in competitions.