Overcoming stereotypes and ‘skills gap’ critical to attracting professionals aged over 50 to labour market – opinion

Systematic work with citizens over 50 is strategically important for balancing the labor market and Ukraine's adaptation to demographic changes, said Deputy Minister of Economy Daria Marchak.

According to her, the main barriers to employment for this category are both external stereotypes on the part of employers and self-stereotypes among the citizens themselves. The deputy minister cited examples of unjustified age restrictions in job postings (for example, the age requirement of 24 for salespeople), as well as the widespread belief among the population that it's too late to learn new skills.

"It's important for us to provide employment opportunities for people aged over 50. This is part of a barrier-free labor market and a structural adaptation to demographic changes. The study confirms the existence of a 'skill gap': while experienced professionals possess strong hard skills, they often lack digital and soft skills, such as the speed of adaptation to change," Marchak noted during the first stage of the study dubbed "The labor market after 50: what employers really think and what to do about it," presented at the Interfax-Ukraine press center as part of the public initiative entitled "Ukraine's silver economy: the potential of generation of 50 years and older" in Kyiv on Wednesday.

She emphasized that work with this category is included in the Employment Strategy until 2030. Key government priorities include developing inclusive HR practices through the "Human Capital Sustainability" charter and legislative support for flexible work arrangements. Marchak also addressed the issue of "care burden" on women, who often care for elderly parents, which requires the development of professional care services and remote employment.

The Deputy Minister also announced the launch of a new project dubbed "Experience Matters," which will begin in May in partnership with the Zhytteliub Foundation, Astarta, and the State Employment Service of Ukraine. The initiative will focus on enhancing the soft skills of people aged 50 years and over to increase their competitiveness and help employers overcome prejudices.

As Svitlana Pylneva, Deputy Director General for Human Resources at JTI Ukraine, noted, Ukraine is currently seeking various sources of labor market replenishment: the return of Ukrainians from abroad, the widespread involvement of military and veteran workers, the employment of people with disabilities, training, retraining, and new employment formats.

"This topic concerns more than just HR or individual employers. It concerns how the country utilizes its human potential in a situation of critical labor shortages. This is no longer just a question of employment; it's a question of economic security and business development in Ukraine," Pylneva said during the event.

According to her, in this context, people aged 50 and over represent a distinct and important group, potentially numbering over 4 million.

"These are people who already exist in Ukraine—people with experience, knowledge, and professional memory. Yet, their potential in the labor market is less utilized than it could be. That's why we decided to take a closer look at this group and its economic activity," explained the Deputy Director General for Human Resources at JTI Ukraine.

During the discussion, Ella Libanova, Director of the Institute of Demography and Social Research of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, noted that the modern economy requires not so much physical strength as intellectual skills, which decline more slowly with age. According to her, in the context of a "silver economy" and labor shortages, it is necessary to break the stereotypes of both employers and employees.

The public initiative "Silver economy of Ukraine: the potential of generation 55 and over," initiated by JTI Ukraine, was launched in November 2025. It aims to find systemic solutions to overcome the labor shortage by engaging older people in the country's economic life. It envisions collaboration between the government, public sector, and business to develop effective mechanisms and practical solutions designed to help alleviate the labor shortage, create barrier-free working conditions, and unlock the potential of the 55 plus generation.

Following the qualitative research, the next stage of the initiative involves conducting a quantitative, representative study of the work experience and employment of people aged 50 and over.

As the initiators noted in a press release citing the Ministry of Social Policy, by 2030, every fourth Ukrainian will be over 60. Ukraine currently lacks approximately 4.5 million workers, but up to 2 million people of retirement age could be employed if favorable conditions, flexible employment formats, and stereotypes are created.