The government activates the mechanism of attracting the unemployed to the country’s “Recovery Army” through their participation in socially useful works. Implementation of this mechanism in the regions was discussed during the meeting of Yuliia Svyrydenko, First Deputy Prime Minister – Minister of Economy of Ukraine, with the heads of oblast and Kyiv city military administrations. 

“Due to the war, a fairly high unemployment rate is expected in the country – about 30% at the end of the year, and this is a serious challenge for the state. Therefore, the Government has developed and proposed a mechanism under which the temporarily unemployed can be involved in performing socially useful works which are needed in the regions. Today we have two armies – one defends the country at the front, the other works. People who have been left without work for various reasons will be able to join the country’s “Recovery Army”, and the state will pay for their work in the amount of the minimum wage, which is UAH 6,700 as of October,” Yuliia Svyrydenko said. 

The unemployed will be able to be involved in the performance of defensive works, works to eliminate the consequences of emergency situations of man-made, natural and military character. These can be works aimed at meeting the needs of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, other military formations and civil defence forces as well as at ensuring the general needs of the functioning of the economy and the vital activity of the population. In particular, they can be:

• arrangement and reinforcement of block posts, felling trees to form trenches;
• harvesting firewood for the military and the population;
• clearing of the debris and restoration of residential buildings and other premises damaged as a result of hostilities;
• reinforcement of dams;
• clearing of highways from debris;
• unloading of humanitarian aid;
• arrangement of basements in high-rise buildings, schools for shelters;
• repair and restoration works on premises of the social sphere; 
• providing assistance to internally displaced persons, people with disabilities and the elderly.

The organizer of the works should be the military command together with the oblast military administrations independently or with the involvement of executive authorities. All able-bodied persons, in particular, registered unemployed and internally displaced persons who do not have health restrictions, will be involved in the works. At the same time, the unemployed will receive payment for work in the amount no less than the minimum wage (UAH 6,700), which in most cases is higher than unemployment benefits.  Fixed-term employment contracts will be concluded with the participants of such works in accordance with the Labour Code of Ukraine.

Today, socially useful works have already been implemented in Sumy and Chernihiv oblasts. So, in Sumy Oblast, such works have been implemented in 18 territorial communities out of 26, where there are no active hostilities, and almost 400 unemployed people have been employed for the performance of these works. In Chernihiv Oblast, 78 unemployed people are involved in such works.