82% of HoReCa employers are experiencing staff shortages, and a quarter of workers are considering changing industries, a survey finds

Ukraine’s HoReCa sector is facing a staff shortage and high costs for electricity and generators, making it harder for venues to operate. Some workers plan to change fields due to stress and low pay, while employers are struggling with both the lack of personnel and increased expenses.

This became known from the results of a survey by one of the specialized job-search platforms.

According to the survey, for a significant share of workers income has remained unchanged over the past year—about 30–40% of respondents said so. Another 25% reported a slight increase in wages, and 17% said their pay rose significantly. However, 11% recorded a significant decrease in income, and 6% a slight decrease. It is noted that this points to an uneven financial situation in the sector: some workers received pay increases, while others saw earnings fall amid difficult economic conditions and rising operating costs for establishments.

Prolonged disruptions in electricity and water supply in the winter of 2025–2026 noticeably complicated work in HoReCa—55% of respondents said their working conditions changed. Most often, workers cited increased physical workload due to power outages, cold premises, and the need to perform some processes manually (52%). Another 45% reported higher stress and emotional strain due to the unpredictability of the situation.

The most serious challenge for businesses remains staffing—82% of respondents said they felt a personnel shortage. The hardest roles to fill are cooks, kitchen assistants, waiters, bartenders, and technical staff. Employers also cite rising spending on electricity, generators, and fuel (73%), unrealistic salary expectations from candidates (27%), and a drop in the average customer bill (27%).

Other challenges included fewer customers or orders (39%), an unstable work schedule (36%), deteriorating security conditions (30%), and lower wages (27%). At the same time, some workers noted positive changes: 15% reported a more flexible schedule, and 12% reported an increase in workload and shift frequency.

Some HoReCa workers have not yet decided on their career plans—31% said it is hard to say whether they will remain in the industry. 29% currently plan to stay, 24% are considering switching to another sector within one to two years, and 16% plan to leave HoReCa within the next six months.

Among the main reasons for changing jobs, workers most often cited high stress and emotional burnout (46%) and low pay (44%). Other issues included a lack of career growth opportunities (29%), an inconvenient schedule (28%), poor working conditions (25%), and a tense atmosphere in the team (22%). Job satisfaction remains mixed: 50% could not assess their satisfaction level, 15% are completely dissatisfied, and 13% are rather dissatisfied.

Despite the economic and energy difficulties, most establishments continue operating—64% of employers reported normal operations, 17% are operating with restrictions, and 9% were forced to temporarily stop activity. The main reasons for closures are linked to higher costs for electricity and rent, and the need to invest in generators and autonomous power supply.