Labor Market in Ukraine: Current Situation and Development Prospect

Abstract

The labor market is one of the main and most complex elements of a market economy. It is a system of organization of wage labor based on market laws, which includes employers who demand labor, employees who form the supply of labor in this market, as well as mechanisms and institutions to reconcile the interests of workers and employers. The purpose of the article is a statistical and expert analysis of the labor market in Ukraine and the formation of promising areas of its development in terms of postwar expectations and the impact of global processes. Statistical analysis of the main indicators of the labor market showed that the share of employees and the wage fund by type of economic activity are approximately the same. While the level of average wages in Ukraine differs significantly from them by type of economic activity. This is the reason for the formation of demand for the relevant professions. Based on expert analysis, it is established that the most popular in Ukraine are specialties in the field of services. There are significant differences in the expectations of employers and the wishes of job seekers. There is a shortage of staff and a gradual alleviation of the problem of ageism. Globalization processes have shifted the importance of the profession towards the acquired skills. On the one hand, the acceleration of automation and the growth of cyber risks have increased the interest of employers in such new specialties related to artificial intelligence. On the other hand, skills such as critical thinking, the ability to analyze, the ability to solve problems, the ability to learn, endurance, resilience to stress, flexibility become more relevant. Russia’s military aggression has changed the list of professions that will be most in demand in the postwar period. The main professional directions for the reconstruction of the country’s economy are analyzed. These include both highly intelligent (engineers, architects, doctors, lawyers, psychologists, programmers, managers and marketers) and working professions.