In autumn 2026, the Ukrainian labor market showed a notable seasonal realignment: employers began actively looking for staff in education and medicine, while the highest median salary growth was recorded in IT. These conclusions stem from OLX Work data, which platform analysts compared across three key metrics—number of posted vacancies, applicant activity (responses per ad), and median salaries—in June and September 2026. According to RBC-Ukraine, the study notes that seasonal changes affect individual employment sectors differently: with the start of the academic year, demand for education workers increases, while offers in retail and hospitality decrease.
Leaders by Number of Vacancies
By total posted ads in September 2026, the category "Production / Blue-Collar Specialties" led: employers published 19,118 vacancies with a median salary of 30,000 hryvnias. Logistics, warehousing, and delivery came second with 17,367 ads and a median salary of 35,000 hryvnias. Retail, sales, and procurement took third position with 16,621 vacancies and a median salary of 27,500 hryvnias. This top five led in vacancies in June as well, though the positions of individual sectors, ad volumes, and salary levels shifted over the summer.
Education and Medicine: Growing Demand with Diverse Salary Dynamics
The highest percentage growth in vacancies in September compared to June was recorded in education and translation—up by 30%. Meanwhile, the median salary in this sector actually decreased by 14% to 17,250 hryvnias. In medicine and pharmaceuticals, the picture was different: the number of ads grew by 28%, and the median salary increased by 13% to 22,500 hryvnias. Thus, in both sectors, employers expanded hiring, but the financial dynamics for job seekers turned out opposite.
IT: Fewer Vacancies, but Highest Salaries
In IT, conversely, the number of vacancies shrank by 7%, but the median salary rose by 18% to 32,500 hryvnias. This is the highest percentage salary growth among all sectors cited in the study. A paradoxical market situation emerges: with a decrease in the number of offers, employers offer specialists better conditions, which, as response data shows, intensifies competition for remaining positions.
Applicant Competition: Where the Most Responses Are
Advertising, design, and PR vacancies received the most responses per ad in September—an average of 36 responses with a median salary of 20,250 hryvnias. Call centers and telecommunications followed with 27 responses per ad and a median salary of 30,000 hryvnias, alongside entry-level and student jobs with 25 responses and a median salary of 27,500 hryvnias. The largest growth in responses per ad in September compared to June was recorded in IT—at 97%. Administrative staff, HR, and secretarial positions came second, with responses growing by 79% while median salary remained virtually unchanged from 23,225 to 23,250 hryvnias (+0.1%). Banking, finance, insurance, and law took third place: responses per ad grew by 61%, but median salary dropped by 15% from 32,500 to 27,500 hryvnias.
What Changed Compared to Summer
In June, the top three positions by response count were held by the same sectors—advertising, design and PR, call centers and telecommunications, and entry-level and student vacancies. At that time, IT was in fifth place, with vacancies receiving an average of nine responses per ad and a median salary of 27,500 hryvnias. Culture, art, and entertainment occupied fourth position with 12 responses per ad and a median salary of 21,625 hryvnias. Overall, comparing the two periods showed that both at the beginning of summer and in autumn, employers sought production and blue-collar workers the most, while advertising, design, and PR vacancies received the highest number of responses in both periods.
These data fit into a broader trend: according to RBC-Ukraine, interest in blue-collar professions is growing in Ukraine, and employers continue to experience a staff shortage. Over the year, responses to picker vacancies multiplied fivefold, while positions for copywriters, retail administrators, and system administrators tripled. Thus, the autumn 2026 labor market combines a seasonal surge in demand in education and medicine with steady growth in IT salary expectations and heightened applicant competition in administrative and financial sectors.
