Business named main problems of the labor market.

According to a survey by the Institute of Economic Research and Policy Consulting (IER), in March the lack of workforce became the main obstacle for entrepreneurs in Ukraine. This issue caused concern for 61% of surveyed enterprises, although in August this figure was even higher - 63%.

"This is the first Time that the lack of workforce has become the main obstacle for business in Ukraine since the survey started in May 2022," said IER Executive Director Oksana Kuyakov.

Also, according to the survey, it is becoming increasingly difficult for businesses to find qualified workers. 55.1% of entrepreneurs reported this problem, which is a record figure. However, finding unskilled personnel is slightly easier - 39.2% of respondents noted this issue.

Business expectations regarding labor resources have also worsened. The number of enterprises planning to increase employment decreased (from 14.6% in August to 12.1% in September) and those planning to increase the number of employees on forced leave increased (from 3.8% to 13.9%).

In second place among obstacles for business - "dangerous working conditions". In September, 56% of enterprises noted this problem, which is 10 percentage points more than in August.

An important obstacle for entrepreneurs also remains the "rise in prices for raw materials and goods", but this issue slightly decreased in September (from 46% to 45%).

This report also indicates an increase in the number of businesses that called the state an "obstacle" (23%) or "enemy" (5%) for business. However, the relative majority of entrepreneurs consider the state a "regulator" (40%).

Still, the Business Activity Recovery Index (BARI) improved in September for various types of enterprises - from microbusiness to large business.