Only 45% of working age population in Ukraine officially employed

"Only 12.8 million of 28.5 million of working age people work officially, they have protection guarantees of their labor rights," said Mylovanov at a briefing on December 27, an Ukrinform correspondent reported.

He added that 15.7 million people are currently unprotected in Ukraine, namely illegal workers that work without employment contracts, migrant workers that left Ukraine, able-bodied retired persons, unemployed people, people with disabilities and people in the household sector.

Thus, he stressed, the Cabinet of Ministers approved a new bill on labor which aims to “ease conditions for employment and increase the income of employees."

As Ukrinform reported, the Cabinet of Ministers at its meeting on December 27 approved the bill on labor. The document five key innovations: preserving and extending the social rights of employees; increasing the number of official jobs; ensuring equal opportunities for men and women at the workplace; raising income of employees across Ukraine; bringing the Ukrainian legislation in line with the European legislation.