Ivan Sokolovskyi on Ukrainians' satisfaction with their work

A video has been published on YouTube in which Ivan Sokolovskyi, Research Fellow of the Institute of Sociology of the NAS of Ukraine, analyses, on the basis of the monitoring data the Institute has been collecting for more than three decades, the question of Ukrainians' satisfaction with their work over the past 30 years.

Comparing the data of 1994 and 2024, Sokolovskyi stressed that over this period satisfaction with work has practically doubled — from 33% to 60%. This is so even taking into account all the difficulties of the period of the Russian Federation's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

As for the availability of employment in one's own field and with sufficient pay, 70% of respondents between 2002 and 2021 found it difficult to find such work.

The sociologist noted that Ukrainians' fear of losing their job is a stable fear for many: in 1994 there were 60% of them, and in 2021 70%. Paradoxically, in 2024 there were considerably fewer — 39.6%, perhaps because during the war far greater fears came to the fore. And many Ukrainians left the country during the war and freed up vacancies.

The situation that has developed is therefore this: on the one hand Ukrainians' satisfaction is growing not only with their work but with life; on the other, many find it hard to find work matching their qualifications and with decent pay, and the fear of unemployment is constantly present in their minds.

The ranking of the satisfied looks like this:

1. Sole proprietors — 75%
2. Formally employed — 63%
3. Freelancers — 48%
4. Workers on contract — 42%

The digitalisation of the economy has widened the possibilities for flexible forms of employment and work, but in many cases it has deprived workers of the customary paternalistic “props” characteristic of the classic forms of work of the past, such as the various social guarantees provided to workers by the state, by employers and so on.

Moving away from paternalistic models and workers' readiness to take on responsibility is a sign not only of a loss of comfort but also of their growing up and of a greater readiness to act actively in the sphere of employment.

The sociologists of the Institute continue to keep a finger on the pulse of social processes and are ready to help politicians and the state in shaping optimal domestic policy.

Read in full here:

Watch the video on YouTube