Choosing a profession after school is one of the first major decisions for many applicants. The labor market has already been influenced by war, migration, mobilization, the country's reconstruction, the development of digital technologies, and a shortage of workers in many fields. Because of this, the demand for various specialists has changed. At the same time, applicants often look beyond just who employers are seeking. For them, it is also important how prestigious a profession is, whether it offers good earnings, the possibility of remote work, or the chance to find a job abroad.
UNN looked into what is happening in the labor market in 2026.
In-demand professions in Ukraine: what applicants are choosing
According to data from the Vstup.OSVITA.UA information system, in 2025, applicants submitted the most undergraduate applications for the following specialties:
- management (69,385 applications);
- philology (55,911 applications);
- psychology (55,571 applications);
- marketing (37,581 applications);
- economics (33,540 applications);
- computer science (31,688 applications);
- law (28,317 applications).
This data shows that applicants maintain a high level of interest in humanities, management, economics, legal, and IT fields.
At the same time, the popularity of a specialty does not always mean the highest demand in the labor market. Some fields attract applicants due to perceptions of prestige or broader employment opportunities, but after graduation, competition among graduates can be high.
The most needed professions in Ukraine: which specialists the country will lack in the coming years
The current situation in the labor market shows a different picture than the one formed by reviewing the rankings of admission applications.
According to data from the Kyiv City Employment Center, since the beginning of 2026, employers have most actively offered jobs to motor vehicle drivers, food product sellers, unskilled laborers, sales consultants, office cleaners, cooks, and accountants.
In particular, as of May 1, 2026, the largest number of current vacancies was for skilled workers with tools — 852. There were 674 vacancies open for professionals, 612 for representatives of elementary occupations, 545 for specialists, and 495 for trade and service workers.
Among specific professions, the highest demand in January-April was for assemblers of electronic equipment and instruments (367 vacancies). At the same time, there were only 4 job seekers for this profession. As of May 1, 147 vacancies and 3 job seekers remained for this position.
Also among the most needed professions were office cleaners (277 vacancies in January-April and 142 vacancies as of May 1). For sales consultants, 241 vacancies were registered over four months, and as of May 1, there were 97. For food product sellers, 223 vacancies were opened.
There was also a noticeable demand for motor vehicle drivers: in January-April, the Kyiv City Employment Center registered 214 vacancies. For street sweepers, there were 184 vacancies over four months and 122 current vacancies as of May 1. For accountants — 179 vacancies in January-April and 65 as of May 1.
The list of professions with a high number of vacancies also included specialists — 160 vacancies in January-April and 70 as of May 1, cooks — 150 and 89 respectively, engineers — 128 and 88, unskilled laborers — 124 and 59, and loaders — 120 and 65.
A separate group consists of professions where the number of vacancies significantly exceeded the number of registered job seekers.
For example, for assemblers of electronic equipment and instruments, there were 367 vacancies and only 4 seekers. For electricians for repair and maintenance of electrical equipment — 109 vacancies and 8 seekers. For plumbers — 97 vacancies and 10 seekers. For street sweepers — 184 vacancies and 15 seekers. These are cases where employer demand was significantly higher than the number of people looking for work through the employment center.
At the same time, the most popular professions among job seekers did not always coincide with the most needed among employers.
For instance, in January-April, the highest number of seekers was among accountants — 263 people. As of May 1, 102 remained. Next were specialists — 245 seekers in January-April and 96 as of May 1. There were 243 sales consultants in January-April and 89 as of May 1.
Also among the popular professions for seekers were administrators — 158 people in January-April and 76 as of May 1, managers — 144 and 52 respectively, sales managers — 127 and 69, economists — 116 and 46, and civil service or local government specialists — 109 and 51.
In terms of professional categories, the highest number of seekers in January-April was among legislators, senior government officials, executives, and managers — 1,468 people. There were 1,345 seekers among professionals, 1,332 among persons without a profession, 1,073 among specialists, and 839 among trade and service workers.
As of May 1, the largest number of seekers remained among executives and managers — 660 people, professionals — 596, specialists — 477, persons without a profession — 336, and trade and service workers — 316.
These statistics clearly show that in Ukraine, there remains a high demand not only for specialists with higher education but also for representatives of blue-collar, technical, and service professions. In the coming years, this demand may remain significant due to the needs of business, logistics, trade, construction, public catering, industry, and infrastructure restoration.
Separately, one should consider fields related to the country's reconstruction, energy, engineering, medicine, education, social work, cybersecurity, information technology, automation, and data analysis. These specific areas combine the long-term needs of the state and business with opportunities for professional development.
State Employment Service names top 10 most in-demand professions16.02.26, 20:03
Where yesterday's graduate should apply and how to choose a profession and educational institution
When choosing a profession, applicants should evaluate several significant factors at once:
- own abilities;
- interest in a specific field;
- demand for specialists;
- learning conditions;
- reputation of the educational institution;
- opportunities for practice and employment.
Relying solely on the popularity of a specialty is risky, as high competition does not guarantee an easy entry into the profession after graduation.
The Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine advises applicants to consider overall NMT (National Multi-Subject Test) results, as well as the relevance of specific school subjects to the chosen specialty, before submitting applications. In particular, it is worth familiarizing oneself with subject coefficients, assessing one's own strong subjects, correlating NMT results with specialty requirements, and making an informed decision.
Therefore, the relevant ministry recommends that yesterday's schoolchildren first identify several fields in which they are ready to study and work.
Step two – check the demand for these professions.
After that, it is worth comparing the educational programs of different institutions, reviewing admission requirements, the cost of tuition, the availability of state-funded spots, partnerships with employers, and internship opportunities.
For those unsure of their choice, it is worth considering not just one "ideal" profession, but several realistic scenarios. For example, a humanities field can be combined with analytics, communications, languages, or digital tools. Economics — with finance, accounting, data, or management. Technical specialties — with automation, energy, manufacturing, or cybersecurity.
Admission Campaign 2026: how it will take place and what applicants need to know
In 2026, the admission campaign to higher education institutions will be conducted according to the Admission Procedure approved by the Ministry of Education and Science.
According to information on the website of the Unified State Electronic Database on Education (EDEBO), applicants can submit a maximum of 10 applications, up to 5 of which can be for state-funded spots.
Among the innovations – motivational letters no longer need to be attached to admission applications. Also, undergraduate applicants must set the priority of applications for both state-funded and contract spots.
It should also be noted that the priority system now applies not only to undergraduate studies but also to admission to master's programs, not just for state-funded spots, but now for contract spots as well.
In addition, for most creative specialties, the coefficient for the creative competition has increased to 0.7 (previously it was 0.6).
When entering an institute or university in 2026, it should be kept in mind that all exams will take place offline (in person). For undergraduate studies, this will be an interview on NMT subjects and a creative competition, and for master's studies — a foreign language interview and a professional exam. This applies to all applicants, except for certain categories, such as applicants from temporarily occupied territories, military personnel, and participants in sports competitions of national teams.
A key stage for applicants this year is the creation of an electronic cabinet. According to the Ministry of Education's calendar, registration of electronic cabinets starts on July 1, and they will operate until October 15. Registration for creative competitions and interviews begins on July 3. Submission of applications by applicants starts on July 19 and ends on August 1 at 18:00.
Lists of persons recommended for enrollment based on priority applications must be published no later than August 6. By August 11 at 18:00, applicants must confirm their choice of place of study, and enrollment for state-funded and contract spots based on priority applications must take place by August 13.
Reminder
Earlier, we wrote that in 2026, labor market trends differ from those that prevailed just a few years ago. The field has become more fragmented. In addition, the role of an individual approach has increased.