Starting January 1, 2026, it will become more difficult for critical enterprises to reserve military personnel. The reason is that the government has included in the draft state budget for next year a 9% increase in the minimum wage, to UAH 8,647.
According to Cabinet Resolution No. 76, for reservation, an employee's salary must be at least 2.5 times the minimum wage. Currently, this threshold is UAH 20,000, but after the minimum wage increases, it may rise to UAH 21,617.5. This means that enterprises will have to raise salaries in order to retain key specialists.
The increase in the minimum wage will also affect entrepreneurs. The single social contribution for individual entrepreneurs, which is currently UAH 1,760 per month, will increase to UAH 1,902 in 2026.
The government's draft budget, submitted to parliament on September 15, also includes an increase in the subsistence minimum and the introduction of new taxes.
As a reminder, earlier the Verkhovna Rada adopted in the first reading Bill No. 13335, which allows critically important enterprises of the defense-industrial complex to temporarily hire and reserve for 45 days even those employees who do not have proper military registration documents or who are wanted.
In addition, the government recently allowed booking up to 100% of military-liable employees of critical enterprises operating in areas of possible or active hostilities.
