According to the latest research, only 25% of Ukrainian businesses plan to pursue active growth in 2025. Most companies are opting for a cautious or stable strategy for development amid uncertainty.
This is reported by Finway
Specifically, 20% of respondents reported an intention to actively hire new employees. Meanwhile, 39% of businesses will limit themselves to selective recruitment, while 34% do not plan to change their staffing policies. Additionally, 7% of companies indicated that they are considering the possibility of downsizing this year.
Obstacles and Challenges for Business
The key obstacles to effective business operations in Ukraine are considered to be:
- the shortage of qualified workers,
- declining demand,
- emotional burnout among teams (77% of responses).
Among other challenges faced by enterprises, experts mention the high level of tax and regulatory burden, the implementation of artificial intelligence and automation, the search for new sales markets, increasing competition, cybersecurity and data protection, as well as adapting to changes in work formats.
Drivers of Growth and Investment Priorities
Despite the challenges, businesses see the agricultural sector and processing as the key drivers of growth in 2025. Construction, infrastructure, and manufacturing follow closely in potential, while IT and technology rank only fifth in this context.
This year, Ukrainian enterprises are actively inclined to invest in various directions. The majority of resources are planned to be directed towards artificial intelligence, process automation, and team development. Only 10% of respondents do not plan any investments at all. Furthermore, popular investment priorities remain new products and services, marketing and promotion, as well as expansion into new markets.