Salaries are rising, there is a shortage of workers: what the Ukrainian labor market showed in 2025
26 January 17:20
In 2025, the Ukrainian labor market finally entered the “candidate’s market” phase. According to the annual digest OLX Robota, median salaries increased in all regions, in some cases by more than a third, reports "Komersant Ukrainian".
At the same time, the labor shortage has deepened, forcing employers to rethink their hiring approaches and more actively engage vulnerable groups of the population.
The labor crisis as the new normal
A key trend in 2025 will be the further exacerbation of the labor crisis that began in 2024. Businesses are increasingly facing a shortage of workers in blue-collar, service, and technical professions.
As a result, companies have begun to more actively:
- hire older people;
- open up to candidates with UBD status;
- adapting workplaces for people with disabilities.
According to a survey of employers, 39% of companies already have people with disabilities on their staff, compared to 26% a year earlier.
Salaries: up 23% in a year
As of the end of 2025:
- the median salary in Ukraine will be UAH 25,000,
- growth over the year — 23%.
The highest growth was recorded in:
- Kyiv region — 36% (to UAH 29,300),
- Zakarpattia region — 36% (to UAH 28,500).
The highest median salary was in the Lviv region: UAH 29,750.
Income growth was recorded in all regions without exception — a rare situation for a war economy.
Who is in demand and who is paid more
Among the professions with the highest salary growth are:
- assemblers,
- hotel and restaurant managers,
- commodity experts,
- bakers,
- masonry workers.
Growth ranged from 38% to 59%.
At the same time, two categories saw a decline:
- excavator operator (-30%),
- domestic workers (–19%).
The largest jump in the number of vacancies was among customer service managers in trade ( 160%).
Candidates without experience and “basic” professions
Demand from job seekers grew fastest in the category of candidates without experience, with the number of responses increasing by 111%.
In December 2025, the following vacancies led in terms of the number of responses:
- general laborer,
- packers.
The median salary for both professions is UAH 22, 500, which is 13–15% more than a year earlier.
Mobility as a challenge
Young candidates remain in demand, but employers are facing new problems:
- 59% of companies report an increase in resignations among young people;
- 54% report difficulties in finding young employees.
This coincided with the lifting of the travel ban for men aged 18–22. At the same time, the survey showed that 45% of young men did not plan to leave Ukraine as of fall 2025.
Foreigners are not a mass solution
Only 13% of companies are willing to hire foreigners. The main barriers are:
- lack of need in the industry (41%),
- language barrier (27%).
Job seekers also share this skepticism: they fear language difficulties, cultural differences, and competition with Ukrainian citizens.
Service in the Armed Forces: demand is growing
In the category “Service in the Armed Forces”:
- the number of vacancies in 2025 has tripled compared to 2024.
The most in-demand positions are:
- UAV operators,
- drivers,
- combat medics.
Candidates most often responded to rear positions — recruiters, cooks, as well as air defense gunners.
Salary offers range from 20,000 to over 190,000 UAH, depending on the position.
What’s next: forecast for 2026
OLX Job analysts expect that in 2026:
- the staffing crisis will deepen;
- competition for employees will increase;
- businesses will invest more actively in retraining and adapting personnel.
The labor market will remain a “candidate’s market,” and flexibility in hiring will become a key condition for companies’ survival.
