A labor shortage is a problem for 53% of surveyed Ukrainians, while 32% reported no such issue, according to a sociological survey conducted by the Razumkov Center.

"Compared to 2021, the share of employed workers has decreased from 49% to 41%, while the share of unemployed individuals has increased from 37% to 44%," said Mykhailo Mischenko, Deputy Director of the Sociological Service at the Razumkov Center, during the presentation of the study at Interfax-Ukraine on Wednesday.

Among all respondents, 41.8% are not planning to look for a job, 4.5% are willing to accept any job conditions, while 16% will only agree to their own terms.

The top five problems currently present in the Ukrainian labor market, aside from the labor shortage, include worker mobilization (73%), the outflow of skilled workers abroad (48%), the shadow economy (26%), and the discrepancy between candidates' salary expectations and business financial capabilities (22%).

Additionally, 19% reported a lack of readiness from recruiters and employers to cooperate with candidates over 40 years old.

New mobilization rules have significantly impacted all sectors of the Ukrainian labor market but are particularly problematic in areas where the workforce is traditionally male.

Regarding employment arrangements, the share of employees and working co-owners of enterprises working based on official records or written contracts and receiving only official wages increased from 64% to 74% compared to June 2020. Meanwhile, the share of those working based on verbal agreements without official documentation dropped significantly from 20% to 9%.

"This can be somewhat attributed to the increase in the share of unemployed individuals mentioned earlier," Mischenko said.

Respondents also highlighted key job requirements, including a decent salary (89%), additional social benefits, perks, and employee reservations (24%).

At the same time, 53% of respondents believe that their salary does not match their efforts and does not consider the complexity and importance of their work.

According to the study, 70.9% of respondents do not plan to change their place of work, 17.2% want to change it, and 12% could not answer this question.

When asked what could help overcome the labor shortage in Ukraine, 53% of respondents suggested retraining employees and redistributing duties within the team, 52% recommended programs to attract young specialists, and the same percentage proposed encouraging the return of citizens currently abroad.

Regarding whether special incentives and preferences should be introduced to stimulate the return of Ukrainian citizens from abroad, 63% responded affirmatively, while only 17% were against it.

Discussing those currently unemployed, Mischenko said that it is expected that 91% of individuals aged 60 and over do not work due to their age. Another 2.5% in the oldest age group stated that they are not hired because of their age, despite wanting to work, and 4% are unemployed due to health reasons.

Meanwhile, 0.6% of respondents said they are willing to work only until the age of 40-49, 15% until the age of 50-59, and most frequently, respondents said they are willing to work until the age of 60 (29%), which corresponds to the current retirement age.

Additionally, 13% are ready to work from ages 61 to 65, 3% from ages 66 to 70, and 0.6% from ages 71 to 100. Another 20% indicated that they cannot or are not ready to work at all, and the same percentage had difficulty answering.

The survey was conducted by the Razumkov Center's Sociological Service from June 6 to June 12, 2024, and included 2,016 respondents aged 18 and over.