For the second year in a row, job satisfaction receives the highest rating among all components of the “Life Quality Barometer,” with 69% of respondents satisfied with their current workplace, self-realization, and protection of employee rights. This is demonstrated by the results of the new wave of this study in 2024, conducted by the European Business Association in partnership with Kernel and the research company Gradus Research.
At the same time, employee income assessments are more restrained. Among the business audience, only 47% consider their income sufficient for a quality life (last year it was 53%), and 4% consider it more than sufficient. Compared to 2021, the income level has increased for 65% of respondents. The number of respondents who consider their income level insufficient has slightly increased – from 38% in 2023 to the current 49%. It is worth noting that currently 80% of the business audience earns more than 30 thousand hryvnias.
Employees of the EBA’s companies name the possibility of working remotely (55%), a friendly atmosphere in the team (47%), established relationships with the manager (39%), and comfortable and safe working conditions (36%) as important factors that keep them in their current jobs.
Traditionally high are the ratings of the quality of social life (leisure, communication, participation in volunteer activities),in particular, 48% are satisfied with their life outside of work. Last year, this figure was 53%. The number of those dissatisfied with social life slightly increased to 25% (18% in 2023).
Assessments of the healthcare and education systems among the audience remain stable, which is a positive indicator in the conditions of war. At the same time, in these categories, there is a decrease in neutral assessments in favor of unsatisfactory ones. Thus, 32% of the business audience are currently satisfied with the education system, while 38% are dissatisfied. While 40% are satisfied with the healthcare system, 27% are dissatisfied. It is worth noting that private medical and educational services are popular among the EBA’s audience, which may affect the respondents’ assessments.
Lower ratings from survey participants were received by factors such as the legal framework, the level of security, and the ecological situation. Satisfaction with the level of security in Ukraine has fallen fourfold over the past year. Currently, 79% assess the security situation as unsatisfactory, compared to 53% in 2023. Only 4% of respondents are satisfied with the level of security in 2024, compared to 16% a year ago. It is worth noting that the previous wave of the survey was conducted on the eve of the announced summer counteroffensive of 2023, a period marked by significant emotional uplift in society.
A significant drop occurred in the assessment of the legal framework, which includes assessment of discrimination, the level of democratic freedoms, and administrative services. The number of dissatisfied people increased from 25% last year to 61%, while the number of satisfied people decreased accordingly – from 33% to 15% in 2024. The assessment of the ecological situation in the country remains traditionally low. Only 10% of the business audience is satisfied with the state of the environment, and 66% are dissatisfied (53% last year).
The study demonstrates a downward trend in the assessment of the overall life experience. In general, 27% of the business audience assesses their life experience in Ukraine positively. Another 36% assess it neutrally, and 37% have a negative experience. In 2023, there were 44% satisfied and 21% dissatisfied respondents.
Expectedly, the assessments of the general audience are lower than the assessments of the business audience, represented by employees of the EBA’s member companies. Among the general audience, 14% of respondents are satisfied with the overall life experience in Ukraine, 39% give a neutral assessment, and 48% give an unsatisfactory one. Among the general audience, the best assessments are given by the younger (under 25 years old) and older (over 60 years old) audiences and residents of Kyiv.
Similar to the business audience, the general audience gave higher ratings to factors such as the quality of social life, job satisfaction, the education system, and the healthcare system, and lower ratings to the legal framework, ecological situation, level of security, and income. All ratings, except for income levels, showed a decline compared to the previous year.
Anna Derevyanko Executive Director of the European Business Association
It is very important to monitor changes in the moods and needs of people, whose resources are being depleted in the third year of the full-scale war. We see a decline in some assessments and understand in which areas the state needs business support. We would like to draw the attention of the authorities to the significant decrease in the assessment of the legal field, which emphasizes the importance of the rule of law not only for business operations but also for the development of society, a sense of predictability, and a positive worldview. At the same time, we are pleased to note the stability of most assessments and are proud of the efforts of member companies to support their employees.
Kateryna Spivakova Director of Communications and GR Kernel
People have been and remain the greatest value for Kernel. As a socially responsible company, a leader in the Ukrainian and international agro-processing sectors, and one of the largest employers in Ukraine, we always strive to create the best possible conditions for preserving the human resources potential of our country. Since the beginning of the full-scale war,these approaches have become especially relevant. Today, it is extremely important for every business to research social sentiments and transform their corporate offerings in order to maintain market positions and continue to develop dynamically thanks to a professional team. We were interested in joining the "Life Quality Barometer" research. We are confident that its results will help the Ukrainian business environment update its practices of interaction with employees.
Yevheniia Blyzniuk Sociologist, founder and director of the research company Gradus Research
The results we received among representatives of the business community demonstrate stability, which is a good result in the context of war. However, we observe a deterioration of indicators in the assessments of the general audience. 2024 generally demonstrates a great fatigue of society from the war, overstrain, hyper-high stress,and the fact that people have ceased to understand when this may end leads to such a decrease in the assessment of the quality of life among ordinary citizens. Moreover, we remember that both 2022 and 2023 were more optimistic, and in terms of the horizon of the end of the war, people were in anticipation of a successful counteroffensive, which significantly affected the assessment of the life experience in Ukraine. Now we see a sober look at the existing circumstances.
For reference:
Life Quality Barometer (until 2022 – Happiness Barometer in Ukraine) – an annual survey conducted by the European Business Association since 2018. The main partner is Kernel, the research partner is the research company Gradus Research.
Survey audience: general audience – men and women aged 16 and over, living in cities 50K+ (excluding temporarily occupied territories and territories of active hostilities), sample size: 1166 people, field period: May 3-6, 2024; business audience – employees of member companies of the European Business Association, regardless of location, sample size:472 people, field period: May 8-16, 2024.
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