The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine held a dedicated “Labour Cabinet” meeting and approved a package of decisions aimed at modernising employment policy, expanding opportunities for people and businesses, and better aligning the labour market with the needs of the economy.

Employment policy today is an integral part of the country’s economic policy. Ukraine’s labour market is facing not a single isolated issue, but a set of structural challenges: labour shortages, skills mismatches, barriers to re-entering employment, fragmented services, and a lack of high-quality data for planning. In response, the Government is moving beyond isolated solutions towards a systemic transformation of the labour market.

“People are the country’s greatest asset. In the context of war and ongoing security challenges, we must develop new approaches to the labour market. The Government continues to reset employment policy as a key component of economic policy. The first step has already been taken — on 7 January, the Government approved the draft new Labour Code, which is now awaiting its first reading in Parliament. The next phase focuses on systemic solutions for people and businesses, delivered in partnership with donors and the private sector. We are building a comprehensive ecosystem of opportunities — including reskilling, mentoring for individuals, and support for employers,” said Yuliia Svyrydenko, Prime Minister of Ukraine.

The “Labour Cabinet” approved a set of decisions aimed at labour market development and addressing workforce shortages, including the launch of a pilot project to forecast demand for specialists and skilled workers, a mechanism for workforce training and professional development for the defence industry and other priority sectors, and the “Experience Matters” initiative to support employment for people aged 50+.

A separate block of decisions focuses on supporting economic activity and employment: approval of a mentoring support framework for young entrepreneurs; the “Anchor Point” mechanism to preserve employment during business recovery after shelling; a digital mechanism for terminating employment contracts for workers whose employers remain in active combat zones or temporarily occupied territories.

Together, these decisions form a coherent system. Some measures are designed to return people to the labour market, others help businesses build and retain their workforce, while additional tools create a new infrastructure of services and data. Collectively, they lay the foundation for a more modern employment model — one where public policy is built not around isolated services, but around the full employment journey of individuals and the needs of the economy.

The Employment Week, launched by the Ministry of Economy, will be dedicated to this reform logic. Each decision will be presented step by step, explaining the problem it addresses, how it will function, and what it delivers for individuals, employers, and the state. The goal remains unchanged: to make Ukraine’s labour market more inclusive, flexible, predictable, and better aligned with the real needs of the economy.