Staff shortages remain one of the main challenges facing businesses – CEO of the Federation of Employers’ Unions

Ruslan Illichov, Chief Executive of the Federation of Employers of Ukraine, made this statement during the Industrial Evolution forum.

According to him, the issue of staff shortages is currently a common challenge for most of the companies represented by the Federation of Employers.

“As for the labour shortage – everyone has certainly faced this. It is one of the key problems. Despite all the positive steps and reforms, what businesses need most today are people who are ready to work on the production floor,” said Illichov.

At the same time, he spoke positively of the current model for reserving workers, which, in his view, helps maintain a balance between the needs of the army and the economy.

“We believe that the framework of Resolution No. 76 and the mechanism currently in place best take this balance into account. The government has made concessions to frontline regions, the defence-industrial complex and the energy sector. Various compensatory mechanisms are certainly in place today,” he noted.

According to Illichov, companies are already adapting to the labour shortage through their own staff training programmes and collaboration with educational institutions.

“Business is the number one priority when it comes to finding people, and it will continue to do so. We are finding ways to address this – through informal on-the-job training, collaboration with partners and cooperation with educational institutions,” he emphasised.

The CEO of the Employers’ Federation added that the labour shortage remains acute, but businesses are gradually developing their own tools to overcome it, without expecting quick solutions from the labour market.

As a reminder, ThePublic previously reported on the AI projects for which businesses are prepared to pay freelancers in 2026, and the areas that will bring in money for those who are well-versed in modern technologies.

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