According to an analytical study by GRC.UA, 20,8% of jobseekers in Ukraine aged over 50 say they cannot find work because of age discrimination.
Dynamics of age-related rejections in 2023-2024
In 2023 the share of candidates 50+ who faced refusals due to age was 23,1%, and in 2024 this figure fell to 11,9% as businesses responded to staff shortages. It has now risen again to 20,8%, indicating fluctuations in the problem on the labour market.
Analysts note that some companies temporarily relaxed age barriers during acute staff shortages, but the current increase in the share of refusals points to a lack of systemic inclusive solutions among many employers.
Sectors with the greatest and least resistance to hiring
The greatest resistance to hiring mature specialists is observed in the IT, digital marketing and creative industries, where corporate culture is often youth-oriented. By contrast, heavy industry, engineering, healthcare and education show better inclusion indicators among employers.
Among practices that help integrate specialists 50+ are mentoring programmes, adapted schedules and the move to mixed-age teams, as well as corporate training in digital literacy. Only a minority of companies carry out systematic work on adaptation and mental health support for multi‑age teams.
State initiative: internships for people 50+
The Ministry of Economy and the State Employment Center on 11 May presented a project for adult internships for people 50+ titled “Experience Matters”. The programme is intended to connect businesses suffering from staff shortages with middle‑aged Ukrainians who want and are able to work.
“While 75% of Ukrainian companies face staff shortages, millions of people who can and want to work - internally displaced persons (IDPs), people with disabilities, veterans, older people, women and young people - cannot find work or are employed in the informal sector,” says Minister of Economy Oleksiy Sobolev.
