THE TRANSFORMATION OF UKRAINE’S AGRICULTURAL LABOUR MARKET IN THE CONTEXT OF WAR AND A DEMOGRAPHIC CRISIS: AN ECONOMIC AND LEGAL ANALYSIS
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Abstract
Research into the issue of rural employment in wartime is becoming particularly relevant. Equally important in the current context is the analysis of demographic trends in rural areas, the identification of the main factors contributing to the decline in the rural population, and the conduct of an economic and legal assessment of rural unemployment and the employment of women in agriculture. It is precisely these issues that are addressed in this article, the aim of which is to provide an economic and legal analysis of the labour market in agriculture. The methodological framework of this study was based on the following methods of scientific inquiry: philosophical (dialectical), general scientific (formal-logical method, analytical method, statistical method of data processing and analysis) and specialised scientific (formal-legal and comparative-legal methods). The research has established that, as in the pre-war period, the process of depopulation of rural areas is continuing in Ukraine today. The statistical analysis carried out demonstrates the catastrophic rate at which the rural population is declining. The main factors behind this continue to be: a high mortality rate and a relatively low birth rate, as well as ongoing migration, driven not only by the population’s poor living conditions but also by the military operations taking place within Ukraine. To improve the demographic situation in rural areas, it is considered appropriate to develop a set of measures aimed at developing their social and engineering infrastructure, improving the provision of healthcare, education and other services to residents, and so on. This should be carried out within the framework of the state policy on rural development. It has been established that current Ukrainian agricultural legislation contains no provisions regarding the need to address demographic problems in rural areas. To address this shortcoming, it is proposed that strategies for helping rural areas emerge from the demographic crisis be included in strategic documents setting out measures for Ukraine’s demographic development. It has been demonstrated that, when assessing the current agricultural labour market, it is important to take into account factors such as: the inclusion of members of private peasant households in the category of the employed population; the high level of hired labour used without proper registration; the increased demand for women to perform traditionally male-dominated jobs (tractor driver, lorry driver, etc.). The latter has significantly expanded the opportunities for them to exercise their right to employment. However, the effectiveness of such implementation must depend directly on ensuring safe working conditions, effective monitoring of compliance with labour legislation, and striking a balance between the principle of gender equality and the need to protect women’s health. These considerations must be taken into account not only in current legislation but also in future legislation, in particular in the new codification of labour law.
How to Cite
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rural areas, demographic crisis, employment of the rural population, labour force, rural development, state agricultural policy, state rural development policy, gender equality, women’s employment in agriculture
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