Paint certainly helps reflect light into a room better than concrete, but as to the type to use, best to ask the paint department at your hardware store.
I wanted to add this:
One important consideration in work areas is not just the type and brightness of lighting, but placement. A superb light source is just about worthless when it's behind you, casting a shadow.
When I rebuilt my (small) workshop, I had intended to keep a large fluorescent light in the center of the room, but my friend suggested I ditch it for some overhead recessed lighting placed directly over the countertop areas. The improvement was immediately apparent: having several lights in key locations was much better than trying to fill the room from a central point.
4" to 5" LED-based recessed lighting was what I used. At ~$50 each they weren't inexpensive, but they have an estimated life of 20 years and provide excellent light without a yellowish tint.