Ukrainian companies are facing a labor shortage due to the emigration of young people aged 18-22 after the government allowed them to leave the country. Businesses are seeking alternatives by attracting workers from South Asian countries. This is reported by 24Business.
How the outflow of young people aged 18-22 has affected small and medium-sized businesses
In August 2025, the Ukrainian government allowed men aged 18-22 to leave the country, leading to an outflow of young workers. In the first month of the regulation, over 13,000 individuals in this age category crossed the Polish border. This caused serious problems for businesses, especially in sectors where young people held unskilled positions. For example:
- At a cafe in Rivne, 10 workers were laid off, forcing the establishment to temporarily cease operations.
- The "Silpo" chain lost 3% of employees aged 18-22.
- The "Syirna Tochka" chain reported the dismissal of four workers, including two girls who left with the boys.
According to the Center for Economic Strategy, there are about 700,000 men aged 18-22 in Ukraine, but only 200,000-300,000 of them are actively employed. The rest are students or not engaged in the labor market. The outflow of young people complicates the work of companies in retail, logistics, and services.
From which countries Ukrainian businesses attract workers
To compensate for the losses, businesses are turning to foreign workers. Most often, they hire citizens of India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka for positions of laborers, welders, drivers, and logisticians. However, the processing of foreigners is a complicated and costly process.
«Legalizing a worker can take up to six months, and all expenses fall on the employer,» said HR expert Dmytro Dehtiar.
According to him, businesses cannot quickly raise salaries to retain young people, so they are forced to seek alternatives: automation, retraining veterans, and attracting foreigners.
Employment of minors
Some companies are experimenting with the employment of teenagers aged 16-17. For example, McDonald's in Ukraine offers flexible schedules for minors, limiting the duration of the workweek. The law allows employment from 16 years without restrictions, from 15 with parental consent, and from 14 provided it is light work that does not interfere with learning.
Earlier, we wrote about the real situation at the border regarding the departure of young people aged 18-22.