In August and September 2026, amid intensified Russian shelling, Ukrainian employers reduced the number of new job postings by 15–18%, while job seeker activity surged to its highest level since 2023.
This is stated in the study by the Work.ua portal, as reported by Dengi.ua.
How Military Risks Have Affected Overall Job Market Trends
According to the results of a survey of 921 employers, the overwhelming majority of companies have adopted a wait-and-see approach: 43% of respondents cited uncertainty in medium-term planning, 38% stated that the attacks had no direct impact on current staffing decisions, and only 8% were forced to actually reduce their workforce or cut salaries.
Nevertheless, statistics on new job postings on the platform show a noticeable slowdown:
- overall trend: in September, the number of new job openings was 15–18% lower compared to the same period in 2025;
- regional breakdown: the sharpest decline in hiring was recorded in frontline regions (up to -24% at the end of August), in Kyiv and the surrounding region, the decline reached 19% in early September, while in the west of the country, a 14% drop was not evident until the end of September.
Which Companies And Industries Have Frozen Hiring The Most
The data shows that large corporations are responding to infrastructure threats much more cautiously than small businesses: companies with more than 1,000 employees cut open job postings by 25%, while microbusinesses (up to 10 employees) cut them by only 8%.
The sectoral breakdown reveals the following trends:
- sectors with the largest percentage declines: marketing, advertising, and PR (-53%), IT (-38%), and agriculture (-33%);
- sectors with the largest declines in absolute numbers: retail saw the sharpest drop (a 30% decline, equivalent to the loss of over 1,000 job openings in a week);
- sectors with growing demand: despite the general stagnation, the defense industry increased hiring by 166%, government agencies by 25%, and nonprofit organizations by 17%.
How Job Seekers’ Behavior and Competition for Jobs Have Changed
Against the backdrop of a shrinking job market, competition for open positions has intensified sharply. During the last week of September, candidates submitted 27% more resumes year-over-year, while employers initiated 24% fewer contacts with potential employees.
Trends among job seekers:
- geography of activity: the largest surge in responses was recorded in the western regions (+41%); in Kyiv, the increase was 23%, and in frontline areas, 21%;
- professional sectors: record candidate activity was observed in the categories of blue-collar and manufacturing workers (+59%), real estate (+58%), as well as logistics and warehousing (+44%).
Analysts emphasize that despite targeted destruction of logistics hubs and factories by Russian strikes, there has been no systemic collapse in the labor market. The market remains resilient, and the record influx of resumes allows employers to quickly fill their staffing needs.
