The Labor Market Near the Front Lines: What Is the Situation with Personnel?
19 June 16:12
Labor market trends are changing significantly as a result of the war. In some regions, candidate activity is noticeably higher, which may be one of the consequences of internal migration. In contrast, in regions closer to the front lines or more frequently affected by destruction from shelling, employers’ hiring needs are changing. The OLX Robota team investigated the situation in frontline regions: what jobs and salaries are being offered, and whether there is demand among job seekers, reports "Komersant Ukrainian".
The analysis covered the Zaporizhzhia, Kharkiv, Sumy, Kherson, and Mykolaiv regions.
Who Employers Are Looking For and How Much They Are Willing to Pay
The most job postings in frontline regions are for sales positions. Compared to May 2025, demand for candidates has increased by +2%. Looking at median salaries by region: 16.3 thousand UAH in Kherson, 16,000 UAH in Kharkiv, 15,700 UAH in Zaporizhzhia, 15,000 UAH in Mykolaiv, and 14,500 UAH in Sumy.
There was also active demand for drivers in May 2026: in the regions mentioned, this position ranked second in terms of the number of job postings. The highest median salary for drivers is offered in Kharkiv Oblast — 32.5 thousand UAH—and in Kherson Oblast— 30 thousand UAH. In Sumy, Zaporizhzhia, and Mykolaiv regions, drivers are offered a median salary of 27,500 UAH.
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General laborer positions are popular among employers. They are most actively sought after in the Kharkiv region , where the median salary in May 2026 was 22,500 UAH (the highest figure among frontline regions). Employers in the Zaporizhzhia region are willing to pay about 21,000 UAH , while in the Mykolaiv and Sumy regions, the figure stands at 20,000 UAH.
In the Mykolaiv, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson regions, employers were also actively seeking cooks. In the Mykolaiv and Zaporizhzhia regions , the median salary is 18,500–19,000 UAH, while in the Kherson region it is slightly lower— 15,000 UAH.
Other professions with a high number of job postings include: loader, barista, sales associate, auto mechanic, and security guard.
Job Demand in Frontline Regions
Despite the increase in the number of job openings, demand among candidates for certain positions is declining.
The number of applications for sales associate positions is the highest (as is the number of job postings), but it is 20% lower than last year . There has also been a decline in applications for positions such as construction worker ( -22%), seamstress ( -21%), auto mechanic ( -18%), and sales associate (-17%).
An upward trend in job seeker activity in May 2026 was observed for job openings for general laborers ( +14%), baristas ( +13%), cashiers ( +12%), and drivers ( +3%).
Which job openings have lost their relevance
There are professions for which almost no job openings were recorded in the aforementioned regions in May 2025–2026. These include: brokers, sales department heads, managers, supervisors, lawyers, copywriters, auditors, photographers, and SMM managers.
Despite the challenging security situation, the labor market in frontline regions remains active. Employers are increasingly seeking workers in the fields of retail, logistics, and manual labor. At the same time, the number of applications for many job openings is declining, indicating a labor shortage and a continued shift of the workforce toward safer regions. The greatest demand from employers is concentrated in blue-collar professions, while office positions are significantly less represented among current job openings.
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