In Ukraine, the number of officially employed individuals has significantly decreased over the past three years – by nearly one million. This trend is linked, among other factors, to mobilization and ongoing migration processes. Against this backdrop, many companies are forced to raise salaries to retain scarce workers. This is evidenced by data from
This is reported by Finway
“Monitoring of Key Events in the Economy of Ukraine,” prepared by the Ministry of Economy.
The number of hired employees in Ukraine in 2024 did not reach the pre-war level of 2021 and remained 968 thousand individuals lower. “This has generally negatively impacted labor market indicators,” the Ministry of Economy notes.
At the same time, according to official statistics, salaries continue to rise. However, it is worth noting that this statistics does not account for salaries paid in envelopes, and refers exclusively to “white” wages. Thus, according to calculations by the State Statistics Service, the average monthly salary of full-time employees in 2024 amounted to 21,473 hryvnias, which is 23.1% more than in 2023. In the fourth quarter of 2024, this figure rose to 24,153 hryvnias.
Factors Influencing Salary Levels
The Ministry of Economy identifies several key factors that influence wage levels. Among the stimulating factors are:
- increased economic activity;
- a significant number of working-age individuals abroad (migrants) and in the ranks of the Armed Forces, which creates substantial structural imbalances in the labor market;
- shortage of personnel.
At the same time, the restraining factors include:
- significant production costs due to serious permanent destruction of enterprises;
- energy infrastructure.
In 2024, the most noticeable salary increases were observed in the “Information and Telecommunications” sector (by 38.2%) and “Construction” (by 34%). The leaders in terms of wage levels remained the “Information and Telecommunications” sector with an average salary of 52,457 hryvnias, as well as “Financial and Insurance Activities” – 41,384 hryvnias.
Labor Market Situation and Workforce Needs
It is worth noting that according to the State Employment Center, there is an acute shortage of skilled workers, particularly seamstresses, turners, electricians, drivers, and welders, as well as doctors of various specialties. A difficult situation with personnel is also observed in the trade and service sectors, where there is an active search for sellers, baristas, waiters, administrators, cooks, and security guards.
At the same time, the Ministry of Economy has recorded a decrease in the number of officially unemployed individuals. “Despite the limited economic activity of enterprises under martial law, a decrease in the number of registered unemployed was observed in January-February 2025 compared to January-February 2024,” the report states.