Record number of vacancies and salaries: Ukraine’s labor market shows the largest growth since the beginning of the war
August 2024 showed a record number of vacancies in the Ukrainian labor market and an increase in salaries. Find out which categories of professions are in the greatest demand, where there is the largest increase in vacancies, and what salaries employers offer
The labor market in Ukraine continues to adapt to the war, showing positive changes. According to a survey by Work.ua, in August 2024, companies stepped up their search for specialists, posting a record number of vacancies – 115,482, which is 3% more than in July. Kharkiv region, which has returned to the top five regions, and Zakarpattia with an increase of +10% are particularly noteworthy.
Influence of seasonal factors and increased hiring
August is usually considered a “low” business season, but this year the trend of increasing the number of vacancies in the labor market has broken the traditional decline. Companies are actively preparing for fall hiring by raising salaries and looking for new employees. The number of vacancies increased in almost all leading regions: Kyiv region (+3%), Lviv region (+7%), and Odesa region (+3%) also showed positive dynamics.
As noted, the increase in vacancies did not bypass Kharkiv region (+4%), which was able to return to its place in the top five, displacing Ivano-Frankivsk region. At the same time, the number of jobs increased in Zakarpattia (+10%), Zhytomyr (+9%), Rivne (+8%), and Vinnytsia (+8%) regions.
Educational institutions began preparing for the new school year in July, which helped to boost teacher recruitment. In August, this trend continued, which affected the total number of vacancies in the Education and Science category. The demand for teachers increased by 27%, with a particularly strong demand for math (+58%), English (+29%), and German (+24%) teachers.
Categories of workers and professions in Ukraine that are in the highest demand
A noticeable increase in vacancies occurred in the categories of “Hotel and restaurant business, tourism” (+7%) and “Medicine, pharmaceuticals” (+6%). These industries usually show a high demand for workers during the summer period, but August 2024 was particularly active. “Service sector” (+4%) and ‘Working specialties, production’ (+4%) also increased the number of offers.
New trends include an increase in vacancies for veterans (+6% by July), students (+5%), and people with disabilities (+5%). This indicates a general trend of increasing social inclusion in the labor market.
However, not all industries show positive dynamics. There were fewer vacancies in the categories of Sales, Procurement (-1%) and Transportation, Auto Business (-1%). These sectors were affected by seasonal fluctuations and external factors such as massive shelling and power outages.
Decreased competition in the Ukrainian labor market
Given the increased hiring, competition among job seekers in the labor market returned to the level of June in August. Competition is particularly low in the hospitality sector, where employers are willing to offer higher salaries to attract workers.
The greatest difficulties in finding specialists are observed in this industry, which contributes to higher salaries. The average salary in the Transportation, Auto Business category increased by 5% to UAH 30,000. Salary growth was also observed in the categories of Telecommunications and Communications (+4%), Finance, Banking (+3%), and Design, Creativity (+3%).
Young people and educators: what has changed?
The share of young job seekers with no experience continues to decline in the labor market. In August, the number of workers under the age of 18 decreased by 36%, and the number of young people aged 18 to 24 decreased by 7%. This suggests that young people are either not actively looking for work or are focusing on their studies. At the same time, the share of job seekers with no experience decreased (-12%).
The situation among educators is different – the number of candidates in the “Education and Science” category increased by 7%. This is due to the intensified preparation of educational institutions for the new academic year. The upward trend in vacancies among creative professions (+23%) was also reflected in the growth in the number of candidates.
Salaries and other trends
The average salary in the labor market continues to grow, reaching UAH 21,500 (+2.4%) in August. The highest salary growth is observed in the categories with the lowest competition, such as Transportation, where the salary reached UAH 30,000.
Endodontists (UAH 55,000), international drivers (UAH 50,000), and ceramists (UAH 47,500) received the highest average salaries. The categories of finance, law, and medicine also saw a 2-3% increase in salaries.
Thus, August 2024 was a month of significant growth in the labor market in Ukraine. Employers are actively looking for employees, raising salaries and offering more vacancies. Positive dynamics remain in the education sector, service sector, and creative professions.
We remind you! Ukrainian teachers who have found jobs abroad will now be credited with seniority for receiving a seniority bonus. Read how it will work and what is needed to confirm the length of service in our previous article.
Photo: Freepik
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