Labor market anomaly: what changes Ukrainian businesses are implementing to attract employees

The shortage of skilled workers is prompting companies to revise salaries and selection criteria. In the face of a shortage of male labor, businesses have stepped up their efforts to recruit female staff.

According to a publication on OBOZ.UA, during the war, 915 workers were mobilized from a local mine in Pokrovsk, which employs 6,500 people in total. As a result, women who were not involved in the mobilization began to be invited to work underground. Approximately 30 women are already working.

"The shortage of labor is a serious problem, and hiring women cannot fully solve it," commented a representative of the mine owner.

Due to the shortage of staff, which is 15% of the total number of employees needed, the Kyiv Metro management has decided to extend the intervals between trains by one minute during normal hours and 45 seconds during rush hours. Viktor Vyhivskyi, director of the subway, said that training of new drivers is ongoing at a technical school, where there is one woman among the students. He also noted that a new enrollment for courses where women are expected to participate will begin soon.

Read also: How the Ukrainian labor market has changed

Since 2017, women have had the right to work as subway drivers, but problems with gender equality in management remain. Some women from Kyiv share their experience of discrimination at the stage of enrolling in courses. One of them told about an incident in another depot where a woman who tried to study was criticized for failing and was given preference over men.

According to a survey conducted by the Confederation of Builders of Ukraine, 90% of companies noted an increase in the number of women in the construction industry, which is part of a broader trend. However, despite this, it will not be possible to overcome the staff shortage at the expense of women, as 6.3 million people have emigrated from Ukraine, most of whom are able-bodied women. This deficit is felt even in areas traditionally considered "female," although the division into "female" and "male" professions is outdated.

Earlier, we talked about the upheaval in the Ukrainian labor market.

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