Development of social and labor relations in Ukraine: opportunities for achieving sustainable development goals

Abstract

The article analyzes the essence of social and labor relations (SLR) in the current socioeconomic environment, where the roles of all market actors are being reassessed. The author proposes to include not only traditional partners, but also stakeholders (scientific community, experts, and the public) as participants of the SLR. The author's concept assumes that the SLR, as a set of relationships, should be focused on the formation, implementation, and reproduction of human capital in the country. This approach implies the existence of a criterion of coherence of interests, i.e., participants direct their activities to achieve common goals. These goals include sustainable development goals, in particular, in the SLR area, the goals of gender equality, decent work, and economic development. The analysis of the SLR through the prism of achieving the defined sustainable development goals showed the following. Achievement of the goal of gender equality in Ukraine in the labor market (as a component of the SLR) is considered through equal opportunities for both sexes. Achieving equality is a process with a positive trend and is characterized by positive changes in reducing the gaps between the average wages of women and men. At the same time, the involvement of young women is decreasing (but there are objective reasons for this). In assessing the level of decent work, several basic indicators were identified: the prevalence of forced part-time employment; decent pay (which is assessed by the ability of wages to fulfill not only reproductive but also incentive functions), and the unemployment rate. It was found that the partners made the largest gaps in the area of remuneration, which reduces the ability to achieve sustainable development goals. The reasons for this are as follows: the focus of wages only on the function of labor reproduction and an inappropriate wage structure that does not motivate professional development, development, etc. The revealed level of forced partial employment at enterprises showed the sustainability of this process, which indicates the natural level of this phenomenon (it is noted that deviations from the main target may be caused by external socio-economic, political, or other reasons that produce uncertainty). As for the unemployment rate, its dynamics correlate with the domestic socioeconomic situation in the country and the ability of SLR participants to create jobs. According to the data obtained, it is confirmed that the achievement of the sustainable development goal by this indicator is in a state of stagnation (i.e., the situation is generally stable, but hidden risks remain).