The role of business entities in ensuring employment in the agricultural sector (on the example of agricultural holdings)

The article is devoted to the study of the role of business entities in ensuring employment of the population (primarily residents of rural areas) in the agricultural sector on the example of agricultural holding companies. The author analyzes the current state of employment in the agricultural sector, taking into account the peculiarities caused by the legal regime of martial law. It is determined that legislative initiatives aimed at regulating the rural labor market and forming a rural employment policy are ineffective. It has been established that the current agrarian legislation is not aimed at increasing the number of jobs. It is substantiated that in modern conditions the role of large companies - agricultural holdings is increasing as entities that, under martial law and general mobilization, have the opportunity to preserve human resources and especially highly qualified specialized workers. It is determined that the current criteria for booking employees are largely focused on large companies, which makes it virtually impossible for small farms and agricultural cooperatives to book employees. The social responsibility of agricultural holdings in wartime is considered. The potential role of agriholdings in providing employment to the rural population in the medium term during the period of recovery/rebuilding of the agricultural sector is determined. The author formulates practical recommendations for enshrining at the legislative level both measures of the so-called “negative” and “positive” incentives for agroholdings to employ rural residents. The author identifies possible measures to promote rural employment with the participation of agriholdings: establishing, as a condition for agriholdings’ access to projects to restore compliance with the established number of employed rural residents or create new jobs; strengthening the role of business entities in the agricultural sector as stakeholders; establishing cooperation between companies and educational institutions for targeted training of specialists with their subsequent employment.