Only 25% of businesses in Ukraine plan for active growth in 2025.

According to a study, 20% of companies plan to actively hire employees, while 39% will limit themselves to selective recruitment, and 34% will not change their personnel levels. At the same time, 7% of companies indicated that they plan to reduce staff this year.

The key obstacles facing businesses include the shortage of qualified employees, falling demand, and emotional burnout among teams, accounting for 77% of responses. Other challenges include high levels of tax and regulatory burdens, the introduction of artificial intelligence and automation, the search for new sales markets, increased competition, cybersecurity and data protection, and adaptation to changing work formats.

Conversely, businesses see the agricultural sector and processing as the key drivers of growth in 2025. Construction, infrastructure, and manufacturing follow, while IT and technology rank fifth in this context.

This year, Ukrainian businesses are actively planning to invest in various areas, primarily in artificial intelligence, process automation, and team development. Only 10% do not plan any investment at all. The most popular investment priorities also include new products and services, marketing and promotion, and expansion into new markets.