Student youth in the shadow labor market during wartime: challenges and consequences

Abstract

Abstract: The article examines the motives for involving Ukrainian student youth in informal employment in the current conditions. The purpose of the work is to study the causes and consequences of involving student youth in the shadow labor market in the conditions of war in Ukraine. The research used the following methods: cognition, induction and deduction; analysis and synthesis, statistical groupings. Results: The current state of the labor market is analyzed, in particular the growth of the shadow economy and the reduction of official vacancies. Special attention is paid to the motivation of students to participate in informal employment, including activities in the so-called "deception offices". The main factors that encourage young people to such forms of employment are identified, including economic difficulties, the lack of official offers from employers, and psychological aspects. The socio-economic consequences of this phenomenon for students and society as a whole are assessed. Recommendations are proposed to reduce the scale of shadow employment among young people, including the creation of new opportunities for official employment and raising awareness of the risks of informal employment. Conclusions: The growth of the shadow economy, high unemployment and involvement of young people in illegal schemes require a comprehensive approach from the state, educational institutions and civil society to ensure stable and ethical development of the country. On the one hand, young people find themselves in difficult circumstances that limit their access to legal work and create an acute need for financial independence. On the other hand, society, being in a state of collective stress, increasingly tolerates unethical forms of “economic struggle”. Such a situation not only undermines legal principles, but also poses the risk of forming a generation for which the “gray zone” will become the norm. The participation of students in fraudulent schemes is not only a personal choice of individuals, but a symptom of a systemic problem. It requires a comprehensive response: state policy that creates real opportunities for young people, and educational initiatives that form moral maturity. Keywords: labor market, shadow economy, fraudulent schemes, informal employment, students, youth, formal employment.