In Ukraine, there is a de facto increase in the retirement age, although there are currently no official decisions from parliament on this matter. The main reasons for this process are the strict requirements for insurance experience and significant changes in the labor market caused by the war.
This is reported by Finway
Requirements for experience and economic pressure
The first deputy chairman of the relevant committee of the Verkhovna Rada, Mykhailo Tsymbaliuk, explained that formally the retirement age in Ukraine remains unchanged. However, in practice, Ukrainians are forced to work longer, as to retire at 60 years old, one must have at least 33 years of insurance experience. If this indicator is not met, a person can only claim a pension at 63 or even 65 years old. Moreover, a significant portion of citizens receive minimal pensions — about 2 million retirees live on 2,600 hryvnias per month, which forces many of them to remain in the labor market.
Staff shortages and the role of retirees since the start of the war
The war has significantly affected the structure of the labor market: due to mobilization and the migration of the working-age population, many employers have faced a shortage of staff. Currently, employment centers offer more vacancies than there are people willing to work, so companies are actively returning to hiring retirees. Currently, about 2.8 million retirees are working in Ukraine, which significantly exceeds pre-war figures.
“Today, employment centers have more vacancies than people willing to work. Employers are forced to return to hiring retirees,” Tsymbaliuk noted.
Future changes: the impact of veterans and new expectations
Mykhailo Tsymbaliuk emphasized that after the war ends, the labor market will undergo new transformations. Among the key factors are the retraining of veterans, many of whom will not return to their previous professions, as well as increased demands for wages and workplace safety among demobilized citizens. This will force businesses to change their approaches to hiring staff. At the same time, according to the parliamentarian, the current convocation of the Verkhovna Rada is unlikely to make an official decision to raise the retirement age due to the unpopularity of such a step, although in practice the system has already adapted to the new realities.