Ukrainian employers faced with a record staff shortage.

According to surveys, the staff shortage is a major problem for business in all sectors, noted Tetyana Berezhna, the Deputy Minister of Economy of Ukraine.

"You mentioned the figures and forecasts, and I am sure that many present in this hall have heard about the 8.6 million additional workers, as reported to us by the International Labour Organization as a result of its study. The Ministry of Economy conducted a separate study, and we determined that we need 4.5 million additional workers in the labor market," she said at the 10th Kyiv International Economic Forum (KIEF), reports Interfax-Ukraine.

According to Berezhna, a greater number of programs created jointly by the government, business, and public organizations can help Ukrainians become more competitive in the labor market.

There are already retraining and voucher programs in Ukraine, as well as Coursera and its Reskill upskilling project, which provides 30,000 scholarships.

"But this is just a drop in the ocean, as there are about 8 million economically inactive citizens in Ukraine. These may be people who, for various reasons, are not looking for work, or veterans who have not received job offers, or women who cannot combine family and professional duties," Berezhna emphasized.

Therefore, according to the Deputy Minister's opinion, it is necessary to focus on activating these groups of economically inactive population.