The language issue on the Ukrainian labor market is like a hidden line in vacancies: not always obvious, but often decisive. Formally, employers make demands that comply with the law, but the reality is somewhat different. In many fields, especially in media, sales and service, candidates are faced with the demand for Russian language skills. Sometimes it is not explicitly stated in the announcements, but during the interview it turns out that it would be good for the candidate to speak Russian. Such an approach is often justified by “audience needs” or “market specificity”, but is it really about professionalism? Today, the language issue has become another filter through which candidates are evaluated.
Statistics of language requirements in the Ukrainian labor market
Getting a job today is not just about skills and experience. Increasingly, language requirements appear in job descriptions: knowledge of Ukrainian, English, and sometimes other languages. For some it is just a technical formality, and for others it is an insurmountable obstacle. Today, the situation on the Ukrainian labor market has developed in such a way that almost all employers put forward a mandatory requirement – perfect command of the Ukrainian language. At the same time, competition in the modern labor market is a game of getting ahead, where knowledge of only one state language, however perfect, has long been no longer a trump card. To be in demand, you need to speak the languages of the world, and English is beyond competition here. It has become a universal “key” to international markets, corporations and even local companies that strive not to be left behind in the globalized world.
For data research conducted by the Englishdom online school with the assistance of the Work.ua portal, in 2024 employers published on the website Work.ua 10,042 unique jobs that required knowledge of the English language. This is almost 6% of all job offers on the labor market for the specified period. The top 10 fields with the largest share of vacancies requiring knowledge of the English language are:
- IT, computers, Internet -23%;
- marketing, advertising, PR – 21%;
- Mass media, publishing, printing – 17%;
- top manager, senior management – 17%;
- jurisprudence – 15%;
- education and science – 13%;
- personnel management, HR – 11%;
- culture, music, show business – 10%;
- secretariat, office management, general administrative office – 10%;
- telecommunications and communication – 9%;
At the same time, 38% of vacancies that require knowledge of a foreign language involve remote work. At the same time, there is an interesting connection between the level of language proficiency and the amount of salary – the higher the level, the more opportunities to find a prestigious and highly paid job:
- initial – UAH 22,000;
- average — UAH 25,000;
- above average — UAH 30,000;
- advanced — UAH 32,500;
- freely – UAH 35,000.
The difference in income depending on the level of language proficiency is observed for the following positions:
- sales representative — salary with knowledge of English 60,000 UAH, +100% to the average salary for the position in the market;
- head of the personnel department — 75,000 UAH, +88%;
- dispatcher-logistic — UAH 45,000, +75%;
- head of the legal department — UAH 32,500, +63%;
- product manager — UAH 55,000, +47%;
- department head — UAH 51,000, +46%;
- head of the sales department — 70,000 UAH, +40%;
- waiter — UAH 25,000, +39%;
- web designer — UAH 40,000, +38%.
Among offline job seekers, the largest share of those who know English is concentrated in the following areas:
- Kyiv – 31%;
- Odesa – 29%;
- Lvivska – 28%;
- Kharkivska – 28%;
- Chernivtsi – 25%.
The most Ukrainianized vacancies are observed in the following areas:
- defense forces – 99.6% of vacancies;
- state organizations – 99.3% of vacancies;
- design – 98.2%.
Job seekers themselves are Ukrainianized:
- in 2022 – 71% of resumes created in Ukrainian;
- in 2023 – 88% of resumes created in Ukrainian;
- in 2024 – 90.5% of resumes created in Ukrainian.
So, today job seekers face not only an assessment of their professional qualities, but also a so-called “language test”. Knowledge of languages - Ukrainian, English, and sometimes, surprisingly, even Russian – is increasingly becoming not just an advantage, but a mandatory condition for employment. It is not for nothing that the famous German philosopher and writer Johann Wolfgang von Goethe aptly noted that the number of languages you know is the number of times you are a person.
Russian language in the Ukrainian labor market
The Ukrainian labor market is rapidly changing under the influence of new realities. On the one hand, the legislation requires that customer service and communication in the service sector take place in the state language. On the other hand, international companies insist on knowing English, because it is the language of global communication. But the issue of the Russian language still remains the most acute. Why are there still vacancies in a country where the war with the Russian Federation is ongoing, with a requirement to speak Russian?
According to of research the Work.ua portal, the use of the Russian language in the Ukrainian labor market has noticeably decreased, but it has not disappeared.
- October 2022 – 84% of vacancies formulated in Ukrainian;
- October 2023 – 95% of vacancies;
- September 2024 – 97% of vacancies.
It should be noted that the largest number of vacancies in Russian is found in the Odesa region – 5.6%.
For data of the Work.ua portal as of 2024:
- in Kyiv, among 24,479 actual vacancies, 84 contain the requirement of knowledge of the Russian language, which is approximately 0.34% of the total number of offers. Out of 465 vacancies on the Kyiv labor market in the field of mass media, publishing, printing, 5 job advertisements emphasize the need to speak Russian, which is 1.08% of the total number. Most often, the requirement to speak Russian is observed in the positions of Telegram channel administrator, editor, content manager;
- in Kharkiv – 3.45% of ads require fluency in the Russian language;
- in Dnipro – out of 51 announcements, there are 2 of which Russian language is mandatory;
- in Ivano-Frankivsk – out of 16 vacancies, there is one advertisement requiring knowledge of the Russian language, which is 6.25% of the total number of vacancies;
- among vacancies that offer remote work without being tied to a specific city, 12 require mandatory fluency in the Russian language.
Thus, out of 1,266 vacancies, only 22, which is 1.7%, require mandatory fluency in the Russian language. This indicator shows that the knowledge of the Russian language, although it has not completely disappeared from the requirements, is gradually losing its significance for Ukrainian employers. Although it is surprising the fact that such a demand is most often observed in the field of mass media, publishing and printing – the industry that shapes the public opinion of society through its means. In turn, the English language plays a key role in competitiveness on the labor market, and the Ukrainian language increasingly plays a significant role in the professional sphere of the country.
Language requirements: necessity or formality
Most companies have long since switched to using the Ukrainian language in official communication. However, there are fields where excessive requirements are placed on candidates, for example, perfect command of literary Ukrainian even for technical specialists. This creates an additional barrier for those who grew up in a Russian-speaking environment, or those who previously worked in international companies and did not have the opportunity to improve their Ukrainian.
The demand for knowledge of English is fully justified in international business, the IT sector or the tourism industry. However, it is increasingly being demanded even where there is no real use of this language. For example, for vacancies related to internal document flow or regional activities. In this case, the conclusion suggests itself – it is hardly a necessity, but rather an attempt to weed out “extra” candidates.
At the same time, despite the war with Russia, vacancies requiring knowledge of the Russian language have not disappeared. This is most often associated with companies focused on Russian-speaking customers or partners. And although business chooses economic benefit, it causes outrage among candidates who consider such an approach unethical.
Language requirements in the labor market often reflect not only business realities, but also general societal trends. However, it is important that these requirements remain logical and reasonable. After all, in the struggle for perfect command of the language, we risk losing real professionals. Employers are probably better off finding a balance between the language needs of the business and equal opportunity for candidates. Otherwise, they risk being left without professionals in their fields.
How the language issue is implemented in foreign countries
The language issue is relevant not only in Ukraine, but also in many foreign countries, although its manifestations may differ depending on the context. In countries with a clearly defined official language (e.g. France, Japan, Germany), knowledge of the official language is often mandatory for employment. This is especially relevant for the public sphere, education and legal institutions.
In many multicultural countries, such as Switzerland, Canada, Belgium, knowledge of several languages is not only an advantage, but sometimes a mandatory requirement due to the specifics of working with different language communities.
For foreign workers, the language issue often becomes a key barrier. For example, in the USA or Great Britain, employees who do not speak English at an adequate level face limitations in choosing professions and career growth. In international corporations, English is often the working language regardless of the country of location. However, this creates challenges for workers who do not speak English, even if they are competent in their field. In some countries, language requirements become grounds for discrimination when employers give preference to speakers of a certain language, even if this is not justified by work duties.
Thus, the language issue is a global phenomenon that can be both a means of integration and an obstacle for workers. Its solution requires a balance between professional requirements, cultural identity and equality of opportunity. The language issue in the employment process in Ukraine is not only a test of professionalism, but also a mirror of social changes. The modern labor market dictates more and more requirements for language competence, but at the same time, they do not always match the expectations of candidates. Despite legislative priorities, the Ukrainian language is still inferior to Russian in many areas or coexists with it on an equal footing.
Employers are increasingly paying attention to linguistic flexibility: mastery of the national language, knowledge of English as a business standard and the ability to adapt to the linguistic needs of clients. At the same time, it creates challenges for those who do not have a high level of language skills or who face prejudice. As you can see, this is not just a matter of professional skills, but a marker that demonstrates how culture, politics and economics intertwine in creating the requirements for the ideal candidate.
