For several months in a row, the lack of personnel has remained a significant problem for Ukrainian businesses. In March, 50% of enterprises reported a shortage of employees, according to the Institute of Economic Research. Difficulties in finding workers increased in March, with the share of enterprises reporting problems, with this increasing from 31% in February to 38.9% in March. In 2022, only about 20% of respondents spoke about a lack of labor; this figure was about 33% last year.
Other operating obstacles for businesses are:
- increase in prices for raw materials and goods (53%)
- dangers at work (46%)
- power outages (40%)
“The problem of power outages has significantly increased due to damage to energy facilities after intense rocket attacks in the second half of March,” the IER said.
Problems with energy supply are significant for large businesses because large facilities have been attacked, while small and medium-sized businesses suffered less direct damage.