UKRAINE, Jun 23 — 57% of veterans who were discharged from the army faced obstacles during employment in civilian life, says the data from the Ukrainess Veteran Ministry’s research, visualized by UA War Inforgraphics. 

The research says that 27% of veterans didn’t encounter any barriers to employment, 4% couldn’t answer the question, and 12% weren’t trying to get employed. 

After over three years of Russia’s full-scale war and eleven years since the Russian occupation of Crimea and eastern parts of Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts, Ukraine, as of February 2025, has over 1.2 million veterans. 

Across the main employment-related issues, respondents picked low salaries, physical health issues, and their own psychoemotional state. 

Almost 25% of veterans faced discrimination when they were trying to get a job, the research finds.  

During military service, veterans gained skills like adaptability (73%), first aid (67,4%), teamwork (66,5%), and management skills (64,6%). These are the soft skills most employers are looking for.

For veterans, the most needed support regarding employment are retraining (50%), introduction of employment quotas (49,7%), and the possibility to get an additional education, receive psychological help and help with employment (45% of veterans picked each of these options). 

Researchers add that among the existing programs for veteran support, employers introduced retraining (32,9%),  flexible hours (22,6%), and mental support programs (21,9%). However, 34,2% of all employers don’t have any programs for veterans or consider them ineffective. 

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