Ukrainian employers have been hit by the youth exodus after travel abroad was allowed
Following the update of border crossing rules for men aged 18–22 in August 2025, Ukrainian companies have seen a sharp increase in resignations among young employees.
This is evidenced by a study conducted by robota.ua among 320 employers.
According to the survey, 38% of companies have noticed a significant increase in resignations among young people over the past month, while another 33% have seen a moderate increase. Only 26% have not noticed any changes. Large enterprises with more than a thousand employees are experiencing the most problems: 41% report a significant increase in staff turnover.
Half of the employers surveyed indicate that young professionals are leaving because they want to move abroad. Another 13% sometimes encounter such cases. According to employers, there is a ‘domino effect’: their partners, relatives or friends are leaving with them.
More than half of companies note that it has become significantly more difficult to hire young professionals (55%), while another 29% report moderate difficulties. Only 16% report no change.
To compensate for the shortage of personnel, businesses hire older specialists (62%), redistribute responsibilities (43%), increase salaries and bonuses (29%) or automate processes (16%). At the same time, 59% of employers consider it necessary to introduce state support instruments — tax breaks, internship programmes, and assistance in implementing automation.
The areas of sales and customer service (46.3%), operational staff (38.4%), and IT and technical specialists (10.3%) are experiencing the greatest losses due to the outflow of young people.
