Salaries in Ukraine are rising more slowly: what is the new strategy of employers

Change of employers' tactics in Ukraine in 2025

In 2025, a change in employers' tactics in the fight for skilled labor is observed in Ukraine, specifically, the pace of salary increases has slowed down. Compared to 2024, when 82% of companies reported salary increases, this figure decreased to 79% in 2025. This indicates that employers have become more cautious regarding salary increases.

Salary increase ranges and bonuses

The most popular salary increase range became 11-20%, chosen by the majority of employers. Additionally, 6% of companies decided to raise salaries by 31-40%. At the same time, 19% of companies kept salaries at last year's level, while 2% of businesses even cut rates. This indicates that not all companies are ready to take the risk of increasing personnel costs.

In the context of bonuses, 71% of employers did not review the size of bonuses for their employees, while 20% of companies increased bonus payments, mainly by 11-20%. However, 7% of businesses cut bonuses due to the loss of markets, which also indicates instability in this area. Bonuses have become a privilege of the chosen few, and this may affect employee motivation.

Employers have begun to implement a new strategy of targeted motivation, allowing them to more effectively allocate resources and stimulate employees in specific areas. All of this indicates a gradual shift in the focus of rewards, which may have long-term consequences for the labor market in Ukraine.

The change in employers' tactics indicates adaptation to new economic realities, which may be caused by both internal and external factors.

The slowdown in the growth of salaries and bonuses may indicate the need for companies to maintain financial stability in conditions of economic uncertainty. The implementation of targeted motivation could be key to increasing productivity and attracting talented workers, which is important for competitiveness in the labor market.