Ukrainian IT specialists are facing increased competition in the job market and a shortage of vacancies, which has significantly complicated the process of finding new work both within the country and abroad. According to a recent survey, most candidates acknowledge that finding a job in the IT field has become considerably more difficult.
This is reported by Finway
The Duration of Job Search Has Increased Significantly
According to research data, the average employment period in IT was about 11 weeks. However, in most cases, the search took even longer: in Ukraine, specialists spent an average of 15 weeks, while abroad it was 18 weeks. Thus, many specialists spend several months searching for new jobs.
The longest employment duration was among specialists in the Artist/Animator and Leadership fields — averaging over 20 weeks. Experts in AI/ML/Data Engineering, DevOps/SRE, analytics, recruiters, and system administrators found new jobs significantly faster, usually taking about five weeks.
Decreased Salary Expectations and Key Employer Requirements
The challenging situation in the job market has forced nearly half of Ukrainian IT specialists to lower their financial expectations: 44% of respondents in Ukraine and 43% abroad agreed to a lower salary. Most often, concessions were made by specialists in HR, design, and QA, while experts in AI/ML and DevOps were less likely to agree to work for lower pay, as the demand for these professions remains consistently high.
When choosing an employer, IT specialists consider the salary level, the possibility of remote work, and prospects for professional development to be important. At the same time, one of the key problems in the market is the lack of remote vacancies. Most respondents — 68% in Ukraine and 73% abroad — believe that the job market in IT is currently very challenging. The main reasons cited by specialists include fierce competition, insufficient job offers, lengthy interviews, and a lack of feedback after selection.
“Most respondents — 68% in Ukraine and 73% abroad — consider the current job market in IT to be challenging.”
Currently, it is most difficult for specialists in Game Design, UI/UX, QA, design, and administrative fields to find employment. In contrast, specialists in AI/ML/Data Science view the situation more optimistically, as they more frequently note the availability of a sufficient number of vacancies in their field.