Ukraine risks losing half of its future workforce – the agricultural sector
This was stated by Oleg Khomenko, CEO of the Ukrainian Agribusiness Club association, during the forum ‘The Labour Market for the Economy of the Future’.
According to him, the labour shortage in the agricultural sector currently stands at around 30%, and in certain areas the problem has become systemic due to mobilisation, people moving abroad and an ageing population.
Khomenko drew attention to demographic trends: this year, around 200,000 children started primary school, whereas previously this figure stood at around 400,000.
“In fact, in 11 years’ time, there will be half as many graduates. And we must take this landscape into account in any legislative initiatives,” he emphasised.
According to the representative of the agribusiness sector, Ukraine needs to start thinking not only about competition for workers within the country, but also about bringing back millions of Ukrainians from abroad.
“We will need to think about how to bring people back, rather than seeking migrant workers from other countries,” said Khomenko.
He also stressed that the new Labour Code must take into account the specific nature of seasonal work in the agricultural sector, where at certain times of the year businesses are forced to operate virtually non-stop.
Khomenko also called for Ukrainian realities to be taken into account when implementing European standards. According to him, EU countries adapted their labour legislation over decades and had lengthy transition periods.
“The European Union has revolutionised its labour standards over 30 years. We, however, are now trying to adapt a huge body of rules all at once,” he noted.
As a reminder, on 7 May it was reported that Ukraine’s new Labour Code is entering the stage of detailed refinement in parliament. The government views the reform as a key element of a broader transformation of the labour market – with a focus on legalising employment, flexible working arrangements and alignment with EU standards.
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