SCIENTIFIC BASES AND FEATURES OF LABOR POTENTIAL FORMATION OF UKRAINE

Abstract

The article examines labor potential as the most important and most dynamic component of economic potential of a country where formation of a highly skilled workforce is the most effective way to achieve stable economic growth. Labor potential in Ukraine is unrealized now. Preservation of labor potential at the previous level is a global challenge for economics that can become an economics without people. Since labor potential is the product of complex multi-level intersystem processes, its reproduction is considered within framework of three main systems: demographic, scientific and economic, socio-psychological, which form an external structure functioning in continuous interaction, and that integrates into the final product of quality potential. Therefore, problems solution of capacity creation, analysis of its material and information basis, determination and consideration of regularities in volume formation of working population are increasing in their relevance. The research summarizes and investigates scientific and practical principles of labor potential formation, development prospects. The paper also offers measures for its effective use in conditions of strengthening the processes of European integration. Regularities of population volume formation were investigated as an initial base for determining quantitative characteristics of country's labor potential. There has been a steady decrease in total population of Ukraine, which has decreased by 19.08% since 1990. Features of volume formation of working population were established. This indicates aging and extinction of the nation, and as a result, reduction of country's labor potential in future. Increase of older people population is due to population aged 0-15 years, i.e. children. It was decreased from 22.78% in 1990 to 16.3% in 2018, which is evidence of a reduction in labor potential reserves in future. Structure of labor potential acquires a pronounced depopulation character. Composition of country's labor potential, number of economically active population aged 15-70 years, shows a decreasing trend. In future, a number of working population will decrease faster than total population reduction. Suggestions were given for improving mechanism of reproduction of labor potential: conforming to international standards of healthcare, implementing existing legal norms for regulating relations in labor market.