Employment prospects for people with disabilities in Ukraine
Abstract
The article, through statistical analysis, proved that the labor market in Ukraine under martial law is characterized by significant disparities. Compared to the previous five years, the situation on the labor market has changed to the opposite, since in recent years the number of unemployed and job seekers has exceeded the number of vacancies. Over the past two years, there has been a trend towards a decrease in both vacancies and registered unemployed people, but this indicator does not reflect the real number of job seekers. Along with this, there is a sharp shortage of personnel in certain industries and spheres, such as education, energy, water supply and others, that is, where highly qualified personnel are needed.
The article concludes that thanks to the targeted state policy on employment of people with disabilities, the percentage of employed people is increasing. This situation is also influenced by the fact that the number of people with disabilities is increasing as a result of the war, which means that these are people who have both qualifications and work experience, which, with state support, gives them higher chances of employment. However, employment of people with disabilities in conditions of market imbalance is difficult, and due to the sharp absolute increase in the number of such people, the percentage comparison of employed people is not sufficiently accurate.
The article proposes to consider the following promising areas of work for public authorities, employers, and the public regarding the employment of persons with disabilities: their legislative support, the development of remote work, professional rehabilitation and training, support for entrepreneurship for persons with disabilities, and activities to popularize the advantages of employers in employing people with disabilities. It is concluded that these areas include the implementation of relevant measures, which should change in the process of their implementation. The article argues that if the trends in state policy on supporting persons with disabilities are maintained, the number of working persons with disabilities may increase sharply.
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