Defense, production jobs boom in Ukraine, hospitality and realty slump
Ukraine’s job market saw a 4.3-fold surge in defense sector vacancies and a 74% drop in demand for pharmacists from April 2024 to April 2025, with growth in manufacturing and logistics but declines in hospitality and real estate, OLX Work told NV Business on May 29.
The defense sector led with a 330% increase in job postings, offering a median salary of 64,000 hryvnias ($1,541), the highest in Ukraine, and a 37% rise in applicant responses.
Manufacturing vacancies also grew significantly, with packers up fourfold, technologists by 46%, furniture assemblers by 42%, and electricians by 29%.
Logistics jobs rose over 90%, with a median salary of 23,700 hryvnias ($571), while construction roles like foremen, builders and plumbers increased by at least 30%, offering 35,000–40,000 hryvnias ($843-963).
Agronomy vacancies jumped 70%, likely due to seasonal work, with salaries of 25,000–30,000 hryvnias ($602-722).
The number of vacancies in the “Starting a career/for students” category, which is popular among students and people without work experience, increased significantly by 55%. The median salary in this area is 17,900 hryvnias ($431).
Areas in which there are fewer job seekers
Conversely, demand for pharmacists fell 74%, and PC operators and bakers by 52%, with median salaries of 19,000–21,500 hryvnias ($457-518).
The demand for construction specialists in the category “Work abroad” has dropped significantly (-49%), as most of the representatives of this profession are men who cannot freely cross the border during martial law without certain reasons. At the same time, those who can cross the border are offered salaries in foreign currency, starting at 2,900 euros ($3,270).
Another area with a significant drop in demand for workers was Real Estate – 33% fewer vacancies for sales managers. The median salary in this profession is 34,000 hryvnias ($819).
The hotel and restaurant business also recorded a drop in the number of vacancies in many professions: pastry chef (-26%), sushi chef (-19%), cook (-15%), dishwashers (-14%), etc. The median salary here is 22,000-23,000 hryvnias ($530-554).
The number of vacancies for sales representatives decreased significantly, by 46%. On average, they are looking for 27,500 hryvnias ($662).
OLX Job analysts note that the increase in student vacancies is likely a response to the labor shortage reported by 57% of Ukrainian companies.
The decline in the real estate sector may be due to a decrease in the purchasing power of Ukrainians in the real estate market and, as a result, the lack of demand for these specialists.
At the same time, the growth in the number of vacancies in the manufacturing and construction sectors is a sign of economic recovery, but many employers still face a shortage of qualified personnel, so training and development remain important.
Since the beginning of 2025, about 10,000 Ukrainians have received vouchers for free training at public expense.
Source Link