Almost Half of Ukrainians Would Choose a Different Specialty: Why Education Increasingly Does Not Match the Labor Market
The Ukrainian labor market is changing rapidly, but the choice of specialties among applicants still often lives by old ideas about a prestigious career. Businesses are looking for salespeople, drivers, cooks, builders, auto mechanics, loaders, security guards and general workers. Instead, young people massively choose management, philology, psychology, marketing, economics, computer science and law. This gap no longer looks accidental. It shows a deeper problem: the educational choice of many Ukrainians is not always connected with real employer demand, salary levels and the chances of quickly finding a job. Time for Action analyzed why almost half of Ukrainians would choose a different specialty, why the market needs more practical professions and how attitudes toward careers are changing amid a shortage of personnel.
The labor market needs practical professions
According to OLX Work, in May 2026 employers were most actively looking for workers in sales, transport, logistics, construction, service and blue-collar specialties. Among the most in demand were salespeople, drivers, general workers, loaders, cooks, security guards, builders, sales consultants and auto mechanics. These are exactly the areas often called “blue-collar” and “gray-collar” professions. They do not always have high social prestige, but it is precisely here that employers today feel the greatest shortage of personnel. The reason is obvious: the economy cannot function only on office specialties. Companies need people who sell, repair, transport, build, cook, serve, protect, work with their hands and ensure the daily operation of business. In the conditions of war and future reconstruction, this demand is only increasing. Construction, transport, logistics, production, medicine, service and technical professions are becoming not a fallback option, but some of the key areas for the economy.
What applicants choose
The popularity of specialties among applicants looks different. In 2025, the largest number of applications were submitted for management, philology, psychology, marketing, economics, computer science and law These areas are not bad in themselves. Some of them can indeed provide good career opportunities. But the problem arises when the number of graduates significantly exceeds the real market need, or when people choose a specialty because of prestige, family advice or a general trend, rather than because of an understanding of future work. The survey showed that if Ukrainians were entering an educational institution today, most respondents would choose IT and computer science 26%. Next come transport and logistics 19%, sales and trade 16%, as well as medicine and healthcare 16%. These figures are important. They show that some people already see the real needs of the market more clearly. Transport, logistics, sales and medicine are especially revealing. These are areas where demand for workers remains high. Among other popular fields, respondents named management and business 15%, construction and architecture 15%, as well as marketing, advertising and PR 14%.
Why the gap between education and work emerged
One of the main reasons is the long-standing belief that higher education is the only correct path to a successful career. Blue-collar and technical professions were long perceived as less prestigious, although they often provide a faster path to employment, stable demand and practical professional experience. Head of OLX Work Maria Abdullina explains it this way:
“For a long time, higher education was perceived as the only path to a successful career, while blue-collar professions were less “prestigious.” As a result, the market received a large number of specialists in office specialties. Today, however, the structure of the labor market is changing: in the conditions of war and future reconstruction, workers in production, construction, transport and service sectors are increasingly in demand”
This explains why the market has received many people with office specialties, while at the same time experiencing a shortage of workers in areas without which it is impossible to maintain business, cities, logistics and infrastructure. The problem is not young people. Applicants often choose a specialty in a system where the prestige of a profession was measured for years by a university diploma, not by real employment opportunities. Because of this, many people already after studying face the fact that the chosen specialty does not provide the expected job, salary or development.
Almost half of Ukrainians would change their choice
The strongest signal from the study is that 47% of Ukrainians would choose a different specialty if they had the opportunity to enter again. Another 26% are not sure they would repeat their previous choice. This means that for a large share of people, the first educational choice did not become a final professional road. Often, a specialty chosen at 17–18 does not withstand the test of the real labor market, salaries, working conditions and personal changes. Only 36% of respondents aged 18 and older said they were satisfied with the specialty they studied or continue to study. Others either doubt their choice or are directly dissatisfied with it. This does not necessarily mean a failure of education. But it shows that choosing a specialty no longer guarantees a professional path for decades ahead. People change interests, relocate, lose jobs, look for better pay, move into other fields or gain new skills after their first diploma.
Many Ukrainians do not work in their field
The survey results showed that 37% of respondents do not work in the specialty they studied. Only 27% work in their field, and another 18% do so partially. These data clearly show how conditional the link between a diploma and real work has become. For some people, education becomes the start of a profession. For others, it is only a foundation after which they have to look for a completely different direction. Among the reasons for changing their professional path, respondents named disappointment in the chosen profession 27%, a change in personal interests 25%, a lack of vacancies in the specialty 24%, low salary level 23%, as well as limited opportunities for career development 15%. Separately, some respondents said they cannot find work in their field because of a lack of experience. This especially applies to those who are still studying or have recently completed their education. Here a closed circle emerges. A person needs a first job to gain experience, but employers often want a candidate who already has experience. As a result, some graduates are forced to move into other areas where it is easier to start working.
Education is not always useless, even if a person has changed profession
Despite the high percentage of those who do not work in their field, it cannot be said that the education received was automatically unnecessary. 51% of respondents said that the knowledge and skills they gained were useful in their professional activity, even if they now work in another field. This is an important detail. Education may not lead a person directly to work according to their diploma, but it can provide skills that help later: communication, writing literacy, a basic understanding of business, analytical thinking, work organization, discipline, language knowledge or digital skills. Therefore, the question is not that education has lost its value. The question is that it must better correspond to real life. A person should understand not only the name of the specialty, but also who they will be able to work as, what salaries the market offers, how many vacancies there are, what skills employers need and whether there is a path for development.
What really influences the choice of profession
Ukrainians named personal interests as the most important criterion when choosing a specialty. This was the answer of 70% of respondents. This is a normal and healthy basis for choice, because it is difficult to work for a long time in a field that is completely uninteresting. But interests alone are no longer enough. Among the key factors, respondents also named salary level 55%, employment prospects 45%, opportunities for professional development 42%, stability of the profession 41%, and demand for relevant specialists in the labor market 40%. This shows that Ukrainians are gradually beginning to look at professional choice more practically. It is important to them not only “what they like,” but also whether they can find a job with this specialty, earn, grow and remain needed in the market. This approach is the most realistic. The choice of specialty should combine three things: a person’s interest, employer demand and the possibility of professional development. If even one element is missing, the risk of disappointment increases significantly.
Why practical professions need a new attitude
The Ukrainian labor market needs a change in attitude toward blue-collar, technical and service specialties. These are not “second-class” professions, but the foundation of many areas of the economy. Drivers ensure logistics. Builders will be needed for the country’s reconstruction. Cooks, salespeople and service workers support the daily operation of business. Auto mechanics, general workers, loaders and technical specialists perform work without which office processes have no practical continuation. A shortage of personnel in these areas means not just a lack of workers in companies. It affects service speed, logistics, construction, service quality, and the work of small and medium-sized businesses. Therefore, restoring prestige to practical professions is not a matter of advertising. It is a matter of economic need. If the market is looking for such specialists, education and career guidance must honestly show young people these opportunities.
A profession is no longer a choice once and for all
The results of the study show another important change: the professional trajectory of a modern person has become more mobile. People change fields more often, retrain, move into related areas or completely reconsider their career. This is not necessarily bad. On the contrary, flexibility becomes an advantage. But it requires a different approach to education. Young people must receive not only a diploma, but also an understanding of the market, basic practical skills, internship opportunities, access to real vacancies and honest information about prospects. For adults, retraining programs, short professional courses, support in changing specialties and the ability to enter a new field faster become important.
The Ukrainian labor market already shows that old ideas about a “prestigious” and “non-prestigious” profession no longer work. Businesses need not only managers, lawyers, marketers or economists. They need people who can sell, transport, build, repair, cook, serve and support the operation of the economy every day. The 47% of Ukrainians who would choose a different specialty are a signal not only for applicants. This is a signal for educational institutions, employers and the state. Career guidance must become more honest, more practical and closer to real demand. The choice of profession should not be built only on the prestige of a specialty or a general trend. It must take into account a person’s interests, employment prospects, salary level, stability of the field and the possibility of development. Ukraine needs specialists in different areas. But in the coming years, especially important will be the professions that ensure the work of the real sector, service, transport, medicine, construction and reconstruction. It is there that one of the main demands of the labor market is being formed today.
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