The labour market in frontline regions has changed: according to OLX Robota, the number of vacancies in some sectors is falling, while hiring and median salaries have risen in certain industries.
How candidate activity has changed in the regions
In some oblasts candidate activity increased over the year. In the Kharkiv region applications in retail rose by 20%, and in construction by 17%; in the Mykolaiv region activity in construction grew by 14%.
At the same time, in logistics in the Zaporizhzhia and Sumy regions the number of applications remained roughly at last year’s level — down around 3% and 5% respectively. The most noticeable drop in candidate activity was observed in the Kherson region: in manufacturing and skilled labour roles the number of applications fell severalfold, while in logistics and retail it more than halved.
Where vacancies increased in 2026
Despite the overall reduction in vacancies in some frontline regions, there are categories with an increase in listings. The most notable rise among the analysed categories was in logistics in the Kherson region: vacancies increased by 28%.
In the Kharkiv region supply in logistics rose by about 5%, while in the Mykolaiv region supply in construction rose by the same amount. There are segments where the market essentially held last year’s level: in retail in the Kherson region the number of vacancies barely changed, while in HoReCa (hotels, restaurants and cafés) in the Mykolaiv region the drop was minimal — around 1%.
At the same time, in most core sectors the supply of vacancies fell year on year. The most pronounced reductions were in manufacturing in the Kherson and Sumy regions, and in HoReCa and retail in Zaporizhzhia; in the Kharkiv region the decline was much more restrained.
Growth of median salaries by region
In most key industries median salaries continue to rise, especially where practical skills are required. In the Kharkiv region manufacturing and skilled labour roles added 22% to the median salary — to 27,500 UAH; in retail the increase was 17% — to 20,500 UAH, and in logistics 11% — to 30,500 UAH.
In the Sumy region logistics showed a 22% rise in median salary — to 27,500 UAH; construction grew by 15% — to 28,750 UAH, and manufacturing by 5% — to 22,000 UAH. In HoReCa in Sumy the salary practically did not change and remained at 15,500 UAH.
In the Mykolaiv region manufacturing increased the median salary by 14% — to 22,815 UAH; logistics +13% — to 26,550 UAH, retail +9% — to 19,700 UAH, while construction remained almost unchanged — around 29,900 UAH. In the Zaporizhzhia region logistics rose by 20% — to 30,000 UAH; retail +11% — to 20,000 UAH, manufacturing +8% — to 26,000 UAH, and construction and HoReCa — around 2–3%.
The Kherson region stands out with the largest increase in the hotel and restaurant sector: the median salary rose by 40% — to 17,500 UAH. In manufacturing the increase was 19% — to 24,000 UAH, in logistics 17% — to 30,000 UAH, while in retail the salary hardly changed and is around 17,500 UAH.
