Mass Outflow of Youth Aged 18-22: How Business Replaces Employees.

According to inkorr.com: Ukrainian enterprises are experiencing a severe shortage of personnel as youth aged 18 to 22 are leaving the country en masse after receiving permission from the government. Consequently, businesses are seeking new solutions and starting to attract workers from South Asia. This was reported by 24Business.

Impact of Youth Outflow on Business

In August 2025, the Ukrainian government allowed men aged 18-22 to leave the country, leading to a significant outflow of working youth. In the first month of the decree, over 13 thousand individuals in this age group crossed the Polish border. This has posed a serious challenge for many companies, especially in sectors that rely on unskilled labor. For example:

• A café in Rivne lost 10 employees, forcing the establishment to temporarily close.

• The 'Silpo' chain lost 3% of its employees aged 18-22.

• The 'Cheese Point' stores reported the dismissal of four employees, two of whom left with their boyfriends.

According to the Center for Economic Strategy, there are about 700 thousand men aged 18-22 in Ukraine, but only 200-300 thousand of them are employed. The others are students or not actively engaged in the labor market. The outflow of youth complicates the operations of enterprises in retail, logistics, and services.

Sources of Employee Recruitment

To fill the lost positions, businesses are starting to turn to foreign workers. The majority of hires come from India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka for positions such as laborers, welders, drivers, and logisticians. However, the process of formalizing foreign workers is complex and expensive.

“Legalizing a worker can take up to six months, and all costs are borne by the employer,” said HR expert Dmytro Dehtiar.

He also added that businesses currently do not have the ability to quickly raise salaries to retain youth, so they are seeking alternative solutions: automation, retraining veterans, and hiring foreigners.

Employment of Teenagers

Some firms are opening vacancies for teenagers aged 16-17. For example, McDonald's in Ukraine offers flexible schedules for young people, limiting the duration of the workweek. The law allows hiring from 16 years old without restrictions, from 15 years old with parental consent, and from 14 years old provided that work does not interfere with education.

The challenges faced by Ukrainian businesses due to the outflow of youth underline the need to implement new workforce management strategies. The situation in the labor market requires new approaches to maintain the viability of enterprises and adapt to changes in the demographic structure.