The gender pay gap in Ukraine remains a significant phenomenon, reflected in the behavior of labor market participants during salary negotiations. Research data shows that a significant proportion of women are willing to accept lower financial offers even when the amount of work performed is no different from that performed by men. This situation reflects a complex combination of economic, social and professional factors that shape the structure of employment, the level of candidates’ expectations and employers’ approaches to determining salaries.
Labor Market Research
The results of the annual Labor Market Barometer study, conducted by analysts at GRC.ua, showed that employers quite often encounter a similar difference in candidates’ financial expectations. A survey of business representatives showed that approximately 22 percent of companies recognize the willingness of women to work for lower wages. In most cases, the difference is between 11 and 20 percent less for the same amount of work, which creates a noticeable imbalance in the remuneration structure.
The survey conducted among companies allowed us to assess not only the level of salary expectations, but also the general perceptions of employers about gender differences in the labor market. Some businesses admit that when recruiting personnel, women often agree to lower offers, while men more often try to negotiate higher pay or put forward more ambitious demands.
At the same time, the results of the study indicate that a significant number of employers do not consider this situation as a systemic problem. About 75 percent of companies reported that they do not conduct special monitoring of gender equality in salaries and are convinced that the difference in financial expectations between women and men is absent or insignificant.
This position is explained by the fact that in many organizations the level of payment is determined individually during negotiations with the candidate. In such a model, the final salary largely depends on the amount the applicant names for the position and how persistently he defends his financial expectations.
The statistical indicators recorded by the Ukrainian study almost coincide with the estimates of international organizations that analyze gender differences in income. The Global Gender Gap Report 2025, prepared by the World Economic Forum, states that the gender pay gap in Ukraine is approximately 18 percent.
This indicator means that the average income of women is noticeably lower than that of men, although the reasons for this gap are not limited to the difference in salary expectations. Economists point out that the structure of employment, the choice of professions and industries also play a significant role in shaping these statistics.
The impact of employment structure on income levels
Analysts emphasize that a significant part of the difference in pay is explained by the areas in which women work. Approximately 24 percent of the gender gap is due to the fact that they more often choose industries where wages are traditionally lower.
First of all, this concerns education, the healthcare system and the care sector, where the share of female employment significantly exceeds that of male employment. These professions play an important role in the functioning of society, but the level of pay in them is usually inferior to incomes in the technical, manufacturing or financial sectors of the economy.
As a result, even in the absence of direct discrimination, general income statistics demonstrate the difference between the average earnings of men and women, since the distribution of workers between industries remains uneven.
Signs of gradual changes in the labor market
Despite the existence of a pay gap, the study also records certain shifts that are gradually changing the situation. Some employers note that in recent years, women’s financial expectations have become more comparable to those of men.
In particular, about 10 percent of the companies surveyed reported that the difference in candidates’ salary requests has almost disappeared. Another 7 percent of employers drew attention to cases when women during negotiations even mentioned higher desired salaries than men.
Such trends may indicate a gradual change in the behavior of candidates in the labor market, where the issue of equal pay is increasingly discussed at the level of companies, professional communities and state policy.
Why the issue of equal pay is gaining economic importance
Experts emphasize that the lack of systematic monitoring of gender equality in salaries can lead to the fact that the difference in wages will persist for a long time. Without regular data analysis, companies often overlook or do not pay due attention to differences in employee income.
In today’s environment, when the Ukrainian economy is facing the consequences of war, migration, and labor shortages, the issue of equal pay takes on broader significance than just social justice. Labor market researchers emphasize that balanced wage approaches can affect economic stability, as they contribute to more efficient use of human potential and increase employee motivation.
