Almost 70% of employers felt an intensification of staff shortages after borders opened for men aged 18-22 - survey

In the year after men aged 18-22 were allowed to leave Ukraine, the number of people in this age group who responded to job postings on Work.ua decreased by 19%. At the same time, 68% of surveyed employers said that the shortage of workers intensified during this period.

This is according to a Work.ua study comparing the labor market situation in July 2025 and July 2026.

In July last year, 16,712 men aged 18 to 22 responded to vacancies on the platform, and a year later – 13,483. Thus, their number decreased by more than 3.2 thousand, or 19%.

At the same time, overall candidate activity in the Ukrainian labor market moved in the opposite direction: the number of people responding to Work.ua vacancies increased by 11% over the same period.

Among women aged 18-22, there was also a decrease, but significantly less – by 2%, from 33,493 to 32,963 candidates.

Where young men decreased the most

The activity of men aged 18-22 decreased most sharply in the "Culture, music, show business" category – by 41%. In accounting and auditing, the drop was 30%.

In the hotel and restaurant business and tourism, retail trade, and the "Secretariat, office management, administrative services" category, the number of such candidates decreased by 29%. In media, publishing and printing – by 28%, in security and safety and in beauty, fitness and sports – by 26%.

In the "Design, creativity" category, the drop was 25%, in the service sector – 24%, and in HR and administrative management – 23%.

Work.ua notes that this cannot be explained solely by a reduction in the number of vacancies: there was no such significant drop in job offers in the relevant categories during this period, and the market overall remained relatively stable.

At the same time, in four of the 28 categories analyzed, the number of young men actually increased. In insurance and jurisprudence, the growth was 19% each, in construction and architecture – 13%, and among top management vacancies – 10%.

Most employers report increased shortage

To assess the situation from the business side, Work.ua surveyed 967 employers. Overall, 68% of respondents said that the shortage of workers after the change in rules for men aged 18-22 had intensified to some extent.

In particular, 47% of employers said they felt a noticeable increase in the shortage of staff, while another 21% said the shortage grew slightly.

At the same time, 25% of companies noted that men in this age group had not been a primary category of workers they hired before. Another 7% said they were able to compensate by hiring people from other age and social groups.

Companies in the hotel and restaurant business, retail and wholesale trade, construction, food, woodworking and metallurgical industries, mechanical engineering, transport and logistics, as well as the automotive business, most often spoke of a noticeable intensification of staff shortages.

Salaries for workers without experience approached market averages

Against the backdrop of staff shortages, employers are more actively raising salary offers for young people and beginners. Over the year, the median salary in all Work.ua vacancies increased by 20%, while in offers for students it rose by 24%, from 23,950 to 29,700 UAH.

In vacancies for candidates without experience, the median salary rose by 23% – from 23,500 to 29,000 UAH. For comparison, the overall median salary in vacancies on the platform is 30,000 UAH.

Thus, the difference between the pay for beginners and the average market offer has practically disappeared.

At the same time, the salary expectations of men aged 18-22 themselves grew more slowly. Over the year, the median desired salary of this group increased from 22,000 to 25,000 UAH, or by 14%.

Work.ua emphasizes that the data obtained do not allow directly asserting that the possibility of going abroad was the only reason for the staff shortage. However, the dynamics of young men differ significantly from the situation on the market overall, and the most noticeable reduction in candidates is observed precisely in industries where the share of young workers is traditionally high.

Based on materials: Work.ua