Government working on incentives for veteran employment - Kim

The Ukrainian government is implementing incentives for businesses to hire veterans, with the goal of increasing employment among this demographic, according to Veterans Affairs Minister Vitalii Kim. Currently, veterans comprise 6-7% of the workforce in Ukraine, and this number is expected to rise to 10 million when veterans and their families are included, representing a third of the economy.

The minister emphasized that veterans are not a separate category of people, and businesses should be able to adapt to employ them alongside non-veteran employees. The government has already signed documents on this initiative, and the fund is actively working on it. About 120 companies have expressed interest and signed up so far.

In addition to tax breaks, the government is focusing on creating a supportive environment for businesses to hire veterans. Kim mentioned a program aimed at veterans transitioning into the police force, as there is a shortage of approximately 10,000 vacancies in that sector. The broader plan involves developing incentives tailored to businesses' needs, which are already expressing gratitude towards the military and seeking ways to respond by creating jobs.

Large enterprises and businesses have already established separate professions and retraining programs specifically for veterans, offering them employment opportunities, including for individuals with disabilities.

Kim highlighted that there are about 330,000 registered unemployed veterans in Ukraine, but he believes that around 200,000 of them are working unofficially. A key objective is to move these veterans from the gray zone to the white zone, where they are recognized as official workers and pay taxes. The minister suggested that additional payments or incentives for employers could motivate them to move their veteran employees into the visible, officially recognized workforce.