Official employment of teenagers is growing in Ukraine

In the first seven months of 2026, 5,015 minors were officially employed in Ukraine. Almost all of them are teenagers aged 16-17, while among children aged 14-15, only one person was officially employed this year.

According to the Pension Fund, the number of minors officially entering the labor market has been growing in recent years. In 2025, 23,817 teenagers worked – 18% more than the year before. The 2024 figure was already 9% higher than before the start of the full-scale war.

The largest number of officially employed minors this year is in Kyiv – 1,642 people. Another 1,100 work in Dnipropetrovsk region. Together, the two regions account for 55% of all employed teenagers. Compared to the pre-war period, their number has increased the most in Ivano-Frankivsk and Dnipropetrovsk regions – more than twice, and in the capital – almost twice.

Employers are also noticing growing interest in young workers. According to Work.ua, the share of contacts that companies open in the resumes of candidates under 18 has increased from 2.5% in 2021 to 4.5% in 2025, and the trend continues this year.

At McDonald's, for example, workers aged 16-17 currently make up about 15% of restaurant teams. About 37% of minors come to the company on the recommendations of friends to gain first professional skills and official work experience.

The State Employment Service also helps teenagers find work. With its assistance, 225 minors were employed this year. Since 2023, the number of such employments has been doubling on average every year.

In Ukraine, it is possible to conclude an employment contract independently from the age of 16. From the age of 15, it is allowed to work with the consent of one of the parents, and students from the age of 14 can perform light work in their free time from studies. For minors, a shortened working week is in effect, night and overtime shifts, hazardous work and work on weekends are prohibited.

Source: Opendatabot