In Ukraine, there is an active engagement of pensioners in the labor market due to a shortage of personnel caused by the war and youth migration. They are needed for various positions such as drivers, security guards, salespeople, cleaners, cashiers, loaders, sales managers, tailors, and laborers.
This is reported by Finway
The Minister of Social Policy, Oksana Zholnovych, shared this information in an interview with
“Ukrainian Radio”
. As part of a new strategic initiative, the Ministry of Social Policy of Ukraine plans to more actively involve pensioners in labor activities. Zholnovych noted that reaching retirement age should not automatically lead to the end of one’s working life, and therefore the state must create conditions for older individuals to continue working.
“We need to change the culture of perceiving older age. Such individuals have experience, which they can use to make a significant economic contribution,” emphasized the minister. According to her, pensioners in the context of war and demographic crisis are not a burden but a real human resource reserve.
Strategic Steps to Engage Pensioners
As part of the implementation of the Demographic Development Strategy until 2040, the Ministry of Social Policy is introducing a number of initiatives, including:
- tax incentives for employers (reduction of the Unified Social Contribution and Personal Income Tax);
- professional retraining for older individuals;
- supported living services for persons with physical disabilities or internally displaced persons status.
The most important thing is to encourage businesses not to lay off older employees but, on the contrary, to actively hire them. The war, mobilization, and emigration of youth have led to a labor shortage, prompting the government to engage individuals aged 60 and over who still wish to work.
Employment Prospects for Pensioners
According to Zholnovych, retirement should not be an obligatory end to one’s career but an exception in cases where a person cannot work physically. Research from
“OLX Work”
showed that in 2024, the number of job vacancies for pensioners increased by 33%, and salaries reached 20,000 UAH, which corresponds to the average salary in the country. The most in-demand professions include:
- drivers;
- security guards;
- salespeople;
- cleaners;
- cashiers;
- loaders;
- sales managers;
- laborers;
- tailors.
Small businesses are also actively participating in this initiative: 29% of them hire pensioners as one way to overcome the labor shortage. The highest number of job vacancies is concentrated in Kyiv, Lviv, Kharkiv, Odesa, and Dnipro, where some older individuals even change their place of residence for stable work or switch to remote work.
Moreover, employers are gradually moving away from age stereotypes: while maturity was once seen as a limitation, it has now become an advantage. Older individuals are valued for their reliability, discipline, and life experience.