KIEV A few months ago, an IT specialist in his fifties Ruslan lost his job and started looking for a job. He had moved with his family from Zaporizhia to Kyiv at the beginning of the war because of the constant airstrikes.
However, the job search turned out to be more difficult than expected due to the ongoing business launch in Ukraine.
– I got a negative answer from a few employers just because I don’t have a deferment from the army, Ruslan says.
The business launch currently applies to men aged 25–60 in Ukraine. Ruslan appears in this story anonymously due to the sensitivity of the topic. His name has been changed, but his identity is known to .
Small companies refused to hire the man right away because they don’t want to take the risk that the new employee might have to be mobilized. The big companies offered Ruslan short probationary periods, during which he could be fired at any time.
– Even a specialist is currently not protected in any way in Ukraine, Ruslan laments.
The situation as with young childless women before the war
Ruslan’s case is not the only one of its kind. In the summer in the Ukrainian media is written it is often the case that men of draft age are refused a job offer if they do not have a clear deferment from the army.
Specializing in IT Dev Web Release compares the situation to the position of young childless women in the labor market before the war. Back then, women often lost their jobs because employers were afraid of a new employee’s possible pregnancy.
The trade union movement in Ukraine is still in its infancy compared to the situation in Finland. The job seeker’s protection is weak, and many people do not want to tell their story publicly, so as not to attract the attention of the recruitment agency.
– Now the state is pushing itself into an economic imbalance, which is harmful during a war. There are professionals who cannot be raised and trained in three to four months.
Labor shortages can be seen in many sectors
The lack of skilled labor can already be seen in many sectors in Ukraine. Made in March 2024 according to the survey about a third of all Ukrainian employers have had difficulty finding suitable professionals.
The labor shortage is especially concerning construction industryrestaurant industry, retail and road maintenance. One of the sufferers is public transport throughout the country and especially the metro in Kyiv.
– At the moment, all departments of the metro are operating understaffed, says the finance director of the Kyiv metro It would be Sorbot.
The labor shortage has affected him personally, because in addition to financial matters, personnel issues have also been his responsibility.
According to Sorbot, the Kyiv metro lacks at least 100 drivers and 180 different installers. That’s why the metro has stepped up advertising related to recruitment.
– We currently have one female student who is studying to become a driver. We hope that he will complete all the necessary tests and start work soon, says Sorbot.
At the end of May, about seven percent of the employees of the Kyiv metro served in the armed forces of Ukraine. Some of the mobilized have returned to civilian life due to being wounded, and the metro is trying to find a suitable job for each of them.
The brutal grips of the recruiters speak volumes in Ukraine
The ongoing business launch has worsened the labor shortage also in such critical functions as first aid. For example, the leadership of the Odessa region characterizes the situation as critical.
In the Odessa region, only 50 percent of the staff of emergency care units received the right to deferment. At the same time, doctors are not covered by the postponement, as they are recruited into the army as military doctors.
On June 11, an uproar happened in Odessa case. The emergency unit arrived at the local recruiting office to treat a man who needed help.
According to the paramedics, the employees of the recruitment office wanted to mobilize the paramedics who arrived on the alert and forcibly kept them in the office for several hours. After a small scuffle, the paramedics were released.
“There are such professionals who cannot be replaced”
After all, Ruslan found a job through acquaintances. The new employer is included in the critical infrastructure, and Ruslan is expected to receive an official postponement.
He says that the skills of the workforce are at a low level because of the war and the movement.
– Due to mobilization, men over 60 or under 25 are hired. These young people studied during the corona pandemic, so they haven’t had time to gain enough work experience.
According to Ruslan, the state must find a balance between warfare and economic independence.
– It’s great when our partners support us, but we have to be able to stay on our feet ourselves. There are many professionals who simply cannot be replaced if they go to the front.