Most Ukrainian companies do not currently plan to hire foreign workers
18 June 20:21
45% of companies are not currently considering hiring foreign workers, while 41% consider it only in theory. Twelve percent of respondents are actively considering this option, and only 2% already have experience hiring foreign specialists. These are the findings of a survey of member companies of the European Business Association regarding their experience and the barriers to hiring foreign workers in Ukraine, according to "Komersant Ukrainian".
Among the key challenges, businesses cite the language barrier, the difficulty of employee adaptation, bureaucratic procedures, the high cost of legalization, and lengthy processing times.
“Among companies that already have practical experience, 87% consider the current procedures for hiring foreigners to be complex—33% even describe them as excessively complex—while 13% rate them as simple and straightforward,” analysts report.
According to the study, the process of hiring a foreign worker in Ukraine typically takes between 1 and 6 months: 36% of companies report a timeframe of 1–3 months, 42%—3–6 months, 19%—more than half a year, and only 3%—up to one month.
“Businesses cite housing, paperwork, and intermediary services as the most significant additional costs associated with hiring workers from abroad. Most of the Association’s member companies recruit foreign workers primarily from EU countries, and in rare cases, from Asian countries,” the study states.
Most often, these are technical and support staff or top management/C-level executives. Nearly half of the respondents—specifically 48% of companies—hire foreign specialists for the long term (1–3 years).
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At the same time, 58% of respondents do not consider hiring foreign workers to be more cost-effective for the company, and only 3% hold the opposite view.
“Among the changes that could streamline the process, businesses primarily cite the digitization of procedures, simplification of permits and immigration requirements, cost reduction, and shorter processing times,” the study states.
It is worth noting that 41% of companies believe that increased government support for the employment of internally displaced persons (IDPs) could reduce the need to hire foreign workers, while another 37% believe this would have a partial impact on the situation.
The survey was conducted from May 18 to June 5, 2026, among executives and HR specialists at member companies of the European Business Association. A total of 100 respondents participated in the survey. Of these, 44% were large enterprises, 36% were medium-sized, and 20% were small.
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