The number of vacancies in IT is decreasing

У вересні українські компанії опублікували 6,340 IT vacancies. In general, in the third quarter of 2026, the number of job offers was at 6% less, than in the second quarter, according to data from DOU analysts.

For comparison, in March of this year employers were looking for almost 8 thousand specialists. Against the backdrop of a reduction in the number of open positions, competition between applicants is intensifying, and job search is becoming more difficult for representatives of a number of specializations.

Marketing and development lose some of the offerings

One of the largest reductions in the number of vacancies in the third quarter was recorded in marketing. The situation was affected by hiring restrictions and staff reductions at a number of companies, including Genesis, OBRIO, SKELAR, Universe and Headway. Despite this, marketing remains the category with the largest number of open positions.

There are also fewer vacancies for designers, front-end developers, HR specialists, support specialists, Node.js developers and project managers.

Among programmers, the reduction of offers for certain technologies was particularly noticeable. The number of vacancies for Ruby developers has decreased by 58%, for iOS specialists — on 49%, React Native — on 33%, Android — on 23%.

Front-end and Node.js are among the most competitive areas

According to data for September, the highest competition was observed among Front-end developers: one vacancy accounted for 275 reviews. For Node.js, this figure was 185 reviews, and for software testers (QA) — 113.

In web development on PHP and mobile development on React Native, one position accounted for 110 reviews.

High competition persists not only among programmers. Project managers, designers, HR specialists, managers, DevOps engineers and specialists in artificial intelligence and machine learning (AI/ML) are also actively competing for candidates.

What technologies remain in demand

Despite the general reduction in offers, some technological areas continue to provide employers with a significant number of vacancies. In September, Python remained the leader among programming languages ​​in terms of the number of open positions — 143 vacancies. It was available for Java developers 89 positions.

At the same time, the number of vacancies for Front-end specialists decreased to 91, while in January there were 302 such offers. This indicates a significant cooling of demand in one of the traditionally popular areas of IT.

The situation remains more favorable for specialists in computer equipment (Hardware), where it was in September 274 vacancies, as well as for specialists from embedded systems (Embedded) — 146 positions. Opened in cyber security 134 vacancies, which became a record indicator, according to the study. System administrators are still in demand.

Defense technologies continue to develop

A separate segment with high employer activity remains the defense technology (DefTech) market. In September, it was opened for specialists in this direction 1,395 vacancies.

This segment is expanding employment opportunities for technical specialists amid a general decline in IT opportunities. At the same time, specific prospects depend on specialization, the candidate's experience and the employer's requirements.

Why the situation in IT is different from the general labor market

The reduction in the number of vacancies in the technology industry is taking place against the background of the general problem with personnel in Ukraine. According to the data presented in the material, the share of enterprises that call the lack of employees the main obstacle to doing business has increased from 66% to 69%.

At the same time, almost 7 million Ukrainians remain outside the labor market, although three out of four companies report staff shortages. This indicates a mismatch between available workers and employers' needs, particularly in terms of occupations and required skills.

In August 2026, the average salary of full-time employees of enterprises, institutions and organizations was UAH 31,892. It's on 23.1% more, than a year ago, but by 1.1% less than in July.

What this means for IT professionals

The data of the third quarter show that the choice of specialization and compliance with the requirements of employers are becoming more and more important in the IT market. Fields with a large number of candidates may take longer to find a job, while the Hardware, Embedded, Security, and DefTech fields continue to have significant job opportunities.

At the same time, the reduction in the number of vacancies does not mean the same drop in demand for all specialists. The market changes unevenly: the prospects depend on the specific technology, the level of training and the needs of companies.