Businesses in Ukraine are sounding the alarm over a shortage of workers
Ukrainian companies are increasingly facing a shortage of workers. While 60% of employers reported a labor shortage last year, that figure has now risen to 78%. Businesses cite mobilization, people moving abroad, and a shortage of specialists with the necessary skills as the main reasons.
The labor shortage in Ukraine continues to worsen. Employers say it is becoming increasingly difficult to find the right people, and competition for workers is intensifying. According to the survey, nearly four out of five companies are currently experiencing a labor shortage. By comparison, just a year ago, 60% of businesses reported this problem.
Why Companies Are Short on Staff
Employers cited several main reasons for the labor crisis. Most often, businesses point to the impact of mobilization. In fact, 69% of the companies surveyed named it as the main factor behind the labor shortage. Other reasons include:
- 61% of employers cited emigration;
- 37% cited a shortage of qualified specialists.
The impact of emigration has grown particularly noticeably over the past year. The study notes that people leaving the country has become one of the main factors exacerbating the labor shortage. As a result, it has become more difficult for companies to fill vacancies, especially in positions requiring experienced workers or specific professional skills.
How the decision to allow young men to leave the country has affected the situation
Businesses separately assessed the situation following the decision to allow men aged 18 to 22 to travel abroad. Some employers stated that this had an impact on their workforces. According to the survey results:
- 41% of companies felt a noticeable impact from this decision;
- 16% reported some changes;
- 29% did not notice any consequences.
Among the main problems cited by companies:
- 68% — an increase in the number of young employees leaving their jobs;
- 66% — it has become more difficult to find candidates under the age of 22;
- 64% — there were fewer responses to job postings;
- 30% — the quality of candidates for entry-level positions has declined, while young people’s salary expectations have risen.
At the same time, in most companies, young men under 22 make up a small portion of the workforce—less than 10%—or are not represented at all in such teams.
Businesses are raising salaries to retain employees
Due to labor shortages, companies are forced to change their approaches to compensation. In 2026, 72% of companies announced salary increases. By comparison, a year earlier, 58% of employers had done so. Most often, salaries increased by approximately 11–22%.
At the same time, the number of companies that reduced wages has dropped significantly. While 15% of employers reported this last year, the figure is now only 5%. However, employees’ views differ somewhat. Among job seekers, 51% said they had not received a pay raise in the past year. Thirty-nine percent of respondents received a raise of 10% or more.
Salaries rose the most in the field of artificial intelligence
Over the past year, the average salary in Ukraine has risen by approximately 20% and reached about 30,000 hryvnias per month. The largest jump was recorded among specialists working in the field of artificial intelligence.
Their incomes rose by 73%at once. The average salary for such specialists is now about 42,500 hryvnias. The situation also remains challenging in blue-collar professions. There, employers are actively competing for workers, as it is becoming increasingly difficult to find people with the necessary skills.
Companies are forced to compete for every employee
Due to the labor shortage, businesses are not only having to raise salaries but also find new ways to attract people. Companies are revising working conditions, offering additional benefits, and trying to retain the employees who are already on their teams.
Experts note that the labor shortage will remain one of the main challenges for the Ukrainian economy in the near future. Amid the war, migration, and changes in the labor market, employers are having to adapt and compete for talent much more aggressively than before. These are the findings of a joint study by OLX Robota and the European Business Association (EBA).
In the first six months of 2026, Ukrainians paid 94.2 billion UAH in military surtax to the state budget. This is nearly 26% more than during the same period last year. The largest amounts came from taxpayers in Kyiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Lviv, and Kharkiv regions.
