Abstract
The study aims to assess demographic transformations in the labor market of Lviv Oblast within the context of local business operations amidst the prolonged war. The paper examines in detail the macroeconomic resilience phenomenon of the Carpathian region. It compares national and regional discourses that position Lviv Oblast as a key socio-economic, investment, logistical, and humanitarian hub of the country due to its relative remoteness from the frontline, mass relocation of enterprises, development of industrial parks, and integration of significant flows of internally displaced persons. However, contrary to the positive external perception of the region’s state, this study structures and details hidden deep crisis processes within the local business environment based on an empirical survey of 114 domestic enterprises. It is established that maintaining the viability and stable number of economic entities is accompanied by substantial difficulties caused by severe demographic challenges, including structural shifts in the labor market, external migration, and security (mobilization) processes. The key scientific and practical focus of the work is centered on substantiating the large-scale financial and resource gap between different categories of businesses, which shapes a deep asymmetry and inequality in the market. It is proven that large enterprises, as well as a segment of stable medium-sized companies, possess a colossal competitive advantage over micro- and small businesses. This advantage is directly driven by financial capabilities and manifests itself in the capacity to attract scarce personnel, retain and promptly retrain existing specialists, as well as systematically optimize and automate production and management processes. Consequently, the study substantiates the logical necessity of scaling such monitoring surveys to the regional level with the direct participation of the Lviv Regional Military Administration. Based on expanded criteria, this will allow for an objective assessment of the actual quality and effectiveness of existing grant and compensation programs.
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