In Ukraine, even in a war zone, there is a demand for agricultural workers. In this unique labor market, legal guarantees are rare. But very often, wages are paid in cash every day!
The minimum wage is US$1.50 per hour!
Agriculture is one of the most successful sectors of the Ukrainian economy. In 2024, Ukrainian farmers almost restored the pre-war volume of exports. In total, agricultural products worth US$24.5 billion were sold abroad in a year.1 However, Ukraine’s total exports have not yet recovered. In 2024, goods worth US$38.9 billion were sold abroad. This is only 68.84 per cent of the 2021 volumes.2
It is clear that agriculture is recovering faster than the rest of the economy. This leads to a high demand for agricultural workers even in the war zone. This unique labor market is very different from others. Here is what this market looks like from the inside. For the past two weeks, the author of this article has been working as a hired worker in the agricultural segment of Ukraine and shares his experience of this.
Easy and fast employment
On June 21, 2025, due to a lack of money, I was forced to look for additional work. To do this, I went to the website of the largest free classifieds newspaper in Ukraine. In my hometown of Kramatorsk, there were 183 vacancies available.3 Of course, there were no journalist vacancies among these vacancies. But there were many other vacancies. But I did not have the experience to work in these positions. I also urgently needed money. I could not wait for a salary for a month or even a week. But most vacancies provide for salary payment after a month of work and a small advance after a week of work.
At first glance, it seemed that everything was very bad. But suddenly I saw a vacancy under the heading “Helper needed for a garden plot”. Wow! I can work in the garden. So I can be a helper on the garden plot. I called the phone number listed in the vacancy. As it turned out, a businessman was looking for a person to clear an empty plot of land to expand his business. It is necessary to dig up the earth, uproot trees and weed the grass. Payment is US$1.5 per hour, but I can work no more than five hours, since in the businessman’s opinion, if I work more, the efficiency of my work will decrease. The businessman was ready to pay every day. I immediately arrived at the right place and started working. The tools were given to me at the place of work. A hoe, a rake, a shovel and an axe. It is not difficult to use these garden tools. After five hours, I had US$7.5 in my hands. Incredible! I didn’t sign any employment contracts, didn’t fill out any forms, and didn’t even send my resume. All I did was call and ride my bike to another part of the city. By the way, the ride to work and back by bike takes one hour. A good workout, right?
Features of the labor market
The agricultural labor market can be called the market of last hope. Only in agriculture can you get money a few hours after starting work. And only in agriculture can you get a job without experience, a diploma and bureaucratic procedures. But this labor market has a negative feature. Almost all agricultural work is temporary. That is, you can only work for a short period of time. Therefore, it is necessary to constantly look for new job options. But in this search, everyone is equal. After all, as it turned out, experience and knowledge do not affect wages. A qualified mechanic for repairing agricultural machinery can earn less than a teenager who sorts fruit at a wholesale base.
Minimum formalities and quick results. This labor market is structured this way for objective reasons. The businessman refused to give an interview. This person does not want to attract attention to himself. But in a private conversation with this person, it was possible to find out that there is a large shortage of workers. Before me, several people tried to work on the site. But after a couple of days, these people disappeared. Each time there was a different reason. Someone was taken into the army, someone died due to shelling, and someone drank a lot of alcohol or could not work much in the summer heat. Also, the businessman has little work. Therefore, there is no point in formalising labor relations with people, especially if it is not known whether the person will come to work tomorrow. This makes sense.
In the current situation, labor relations are based on trust, not on law and bureaucracy. Daily payment becomes the best motivation and security measure. People who really need money will come to work every day to get money. In the case of daily payment, the employer cannot steal the salary. After all, if one day is not paid, the person will not come to work the next day. In conditions of labor shortage, the loss of an employee creates big problems for a businessman. We can say that the boss and the employee are brought together by common difficulties. Incredible! In the ordinary labor market, this is rare.
The number of vacancies for agricultural workers is small. These vacancies make up about one per cent of the total supply on the labor market. But these vacancies are constantly available.
Examples of vacancies
In the city of Dobropillya, which is in the combat zone, there is a vacancy for a fruit and vegetable sorter at a wholesale base. The worker’s job is to sort fruits and vegetables by category, variety and defects. Even teenagers as young as 16 are hired for this job. The pay is US$30 per day or US$280-400 per month!4
There is temporary work for skilled agricultural workers. A farmer in Kramatorsk needs a mechanic to repair agricultural machinery. The salary of this worker is US$120-$380 per month! The work schedule is flexible.5 That is, the mechanic receives less wages than the teenagers sorting fruit. Unbelievable! But this is the reality of the labor market in agriculture in the combat zone.
However, there are other unusual offers. For example, there are vacancies that provide for family work in agriculture. A large company is hiring security guards for agricultural facilities. Married couples can work in this position!6 The company provides work not only in the Donetsk region near the fighting but also in other regions of Ukraine. Housing is provided to workers free of charge at the place of work. This is a great opportunity for people who are forced to evacuate due to the advance of the Russian army. This makes it possible to get a job and housing at the same time.
The company’s message says that the pay is US$11 for a 12-hour workday. After 12 hours of work, 12 hours of rest are provided. Salary is paid once a month. But advances are possible twice a week. The company provides employees with uniforms and training. Work experience is not required. But a clean criminal record is required.
There is also a vacancy for an agricultural worker in the city of Dopropolye. The worker must load vegetables and work on the land. The payment is US $250-$300 per month.7
Conclusions
As we can see, there is a steady demand for agricultural workers. And all these vacancies are offered by employers in the combat zone. That is, the Russian army is no more than 25 miles away. Of course, this labor market exists in specific conditions. But this market is an important opportunity for local residents to earn money in war conditions. Working as a low-skilled agricultural worker in a combat zone will not make you rich. But you can earn money for food for yourself and one dependent. The minimum wage found is US$150 per month. This is almost twice the cost of living in Ukraine, which is about US$75.8 In Ukrainian conditions, this seems like a great offer. To take advantage of this offer, you only need hard work.
References
1. https://niss.gov.ua/news/statti/pidsumky-funktsionuvannya-ahrarnoho-sektoru-ukrayiny-u-2024-rotsi
2. https://aub.org.ua/104/ekspertna-dumka/15096-u-2024-rotsi-vitorg-vid-eksportu-korisnikh-kopalin-sklav-8-1protsen-vid-zagalnogo-obsyagu
3. https://www.olx.ua/uk/rabota/kramatorsk/
4. https://www.olx.ua/uk/obyavlenie/rabota/potrben-coptyvalnik-ovochv-ta-fpyktv-16-IDYjxHl.html?reason=extended_search_extended_distance
5. https://www.olx.ua/uk/obyavlenie/rabota/prebuetsya-slesar-po-remontu-selhoztehniki-IDYlUdB.html
6. https://www.olx.ua/uk/obyavlenie/rabota/potrbn-cholovki-ta-zhnki-v-ohoronu-na-vahtu-IDYl1jZ.html
7. https://www.olx.ua/uk/obyavlenie/rabota/gruzchik-raznorabochiy-IDUWUqk.html?reason=extended_search_extended_distance
8. https://www.rbc.ua/rus/news/prozhitkoviy-minimum-ukrayini-rozmorozyat-1751349462.html
