Thousands of cases have been filed in Ukraine over unpaid wages
There are still tens of thousands of cases in Ukraine related to unpaid wages. In the first eight months of 2026, another 4,621 cases were filed, although this is 16% fewer than during the same period last year. The Kirovohrad and Dnipropetrovsk regions accounted for the largest number of new cases.
There are 35,900 active cases in Ukraine related to wage arrears. Some of them have been dragging on for years, and new cases continue to emerge in 2026. Over the first eight months of this year, 4,621 new cases were filed due to unpaid wages. By comparison, there were 5,470 such cases during the same period in 2025.
Thus, the number of new cases has decreased by 16%. At the same time, the problem remains widespread, as thousands of employees are still trying to secure payment of the wages they have earned.
Where Are the Biggest Problems With Wage Payments?
The highest number of new cases in the first eight months of 2026 was opened in the Kirovohrad region—1,527. This accounts for approximately one-third of all new cases across Ukraine. The Dnipropetrovsk region ranked second, with 806 cases recorded there. Next in the ranking:
- Lviv Oblast—360 cases;
- Sumy Oblast – 311;
- Odesa region – 260.
There are also regions with significantly fewer new cases. Only two new cases were recorded in both the Luhansk and Bukovina regions. Five cases were opened in the Khmelnytskyi region, nine in the Kherson region, and 13 in the Volyn region. At the same time, these figures do not mean that regions with a small number of new cases do not have problems with wage arrears. This specifically refers to the number of new cases opened in 2026.
Who Owes Employees the Most
In total, this year’s new cases involve 311 companies. Among them are:
- 144 private companies;
- 117 state-owned enterprises;
- 50 municipal enterprises.
The largest number of new cases involves companies in the energy and gas supply sectors. In this sector, 1,545 cases were opened, or 33.4% of the total. Another 989 proceedings, or 21.4%, involve companies in the chemical industry. Among the companies with the highest number of new proceedings opened in 2026 are:
- “Teplokomunenergo” of the Oleksandriya City Council – 1,008 cases;
- “Svitlovodskpobut”—398;
- “Sumykhimprom”—245;
- Odesa Port Plant – 213;
- “Karpatnaftohim”—205;
- “DniproAzot” – 191.
However, not all of these cases remain active. Some of the proceedings have already been closed. In particular, all 1,008 proceedings concerning “Teplokomunenergo” of the Oleksandriya City Council are currently closed. Additionally, 183 cases involving the company “Energia – Novyi Rozdil” have been closed.
Some debts have remained uncollected for years
A separate issue is old cases that have remained unresolved for many years. The Unified Register of Debtors currently lists 1,957 active cases involving unpaid wages that were opened as far back as 2017.
This means that some employees have been waiting for their money for nearly ten years. Such cases show that even the initiation of proceedings does not guarantee the prompt recovery of unpaid wages. At the same time, the total number of new cases in 2026 decreased compared to the previous year. Nevertheless, the problem of wage arrears remains significant: tens of thousands of cases remain pending, and some of them have been dragging on for years. These figures are provided by OpenDataBot.
