Migration sentiment has stabilized and the labor market in Ukraine is recovering

After the start of the full-scale war, many were forced to seek temporary refuge in other countries. However, as the latest Terra U survey shows, the active movement of Ukrainians abroad has stopped compared to 2022.

According to the results of the eleventh wave of research on the socio-political mood of Ukrainians during the full-scale invasion, conducted in December 2024, a new wave of mass emigration is not expected. The majority of Ukrainians (60%) do not plan to leave the country, even if the situation worsens. This indicates that people are ready to stay at home, even in conditions of war, and fight for their future in Ukraine.

One of the factors that helps keep people in the country is the recovery of the labor market. In 2024, the employment rate of Ukrainians exceeded 65%, which is significant progress compared to March 2022, when only 24% of people had a job. This means that in the conditions of crisis, people found opportunities for work and began to adapt to new realities.

It is especially worth noting the age groups that are working more actively. The highest employment rate among Ukrainians aged 25-54 is 69-72%. However, for young people (18-24 years old) and older people (55-60 years old), the situation is more complicated, and the employment rate in these groups remains low. According to surveys, 27% of citizens are still unemployed, and the majority of them are young people and older people.

In turn, the situation with salaries has changed. The majority of respondents (52%) note that their income has decreased compared to the pre-war period. Only 25% of people receive the same amount as before the war. It is worth noting that older people earn less, while young people have begun to receive higher salaries. This may be due to the demand for young professionals in such fields as IT, innovative technologies and other promising areas.

We can say that despite all the difficulties, Ukrainians are finding opportunities for employment and economic recovery. This not only shows the resilience of our people, but also gives hope for the further development of the country.

The study was conducted by Terra U in cooperation with Gradus Research and consists of eleven waves of research on the attitudes of Ukrainians during the war: Wave I — February 28-March 1, 2022; Wave II — March 8, 2022; Wave III — March 28, 2022; Wave IV — April 20, 2022; Wave V — May 23, 2022; Wave VI — July 28-30, 2022; Wave VII — December 27-30, 2022; Wave VIII — April 24-25, 2023; Wave IX — December 20-23, 2023; Wave X — June 17-21, 2024; Wave XI — December 23-25, 2024. The sample reflects the population structure of cities with more than 50 thousand residents aged 18-60 by gender, age, settlement size, and region, excluding the temporarily occupied territories and territories of active hostilities. Sample size in the eleventh wave of the survey: 1100 respondents.