Financial support for employers can play a crucial role in integrating senior employees into the labor market. Even a partial reimbursement of wages by 25-30% can reduce business costs and increase interest in candidates aged 55+. This is reported by Dengi.ua with reference to interview Delo.ua of the director of the Institute of Demography and Social Research of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Ella Libanova.
She noted that the country already has mechanisms for compensating labor costs when employing certain categories of the unemployed. However, it remains to be seen whether the government is ready to extend such tools to older workers.
Currently, Ukraine lags noticeably behind European countries in the employment of seniors. Only about 40–45% of Ukrainian citizens aged 55–64 are employed, and for those over 64, the figure drops below 10%. In contrast, the employment rate for this demographic in the EU exceeds 65%, reaching 70–75% in some member states.
According to Libanova, this disparity is the result of systemic policy differences. In Europe, increasing the employment of the 55+ demographic is part of a comprehensive strategy that includes financial incentives for businesses, retraining programs, flexible working conditions, and efforts to shift employer attitudes toward aging employees.
In Ukraine, however, persistent stereotypes among businesses remain a significant obstacle alongside working conditions. Even amidst labor shortages, companies frequently overlook older candidates, thereby limiting their own recruitment potential.
Data from the European Business Association highlights this issue: 74% of companies reported a staff shortage in 2025. While businesses have responded by raising salaries and investing in employee development, these efforts have yet to address the underlying systemic issues.
As Libanova emphasized, even moderate compensation could influence employer decisions and encourage the active involvement of the 55+ population in the economy. However, given the limited budget resources of a wartime economy, the introduction of such programs is likely to become more feasible during the post-war recovery phase.
