Mass Layoffs at Nova Poshta 2025 — What AI is Changing in the Job Market.

In June 2025, 'Nova Poshta' announced mass layoffs — nearly 3000 employees, or about 10% of the workforce. The office and marketing departments were hit hardest: about half of the team remained. Let's try to understand the reasons and see how this case changes the labor market and what lessons can be learned from it.

Why It Happened — Main Factors

Automation and Digitalization. Over the past two years, the company has invested heavily in robotic sorting lines, conveyors, and its own IT hub, Nova Digital. Many office processes (part of 'classic' marketing, manual analytics, data verification) have simply become redundant: what was previously done by a person is now performed by an algorithm or dashboard. 'Nova Poshta' has also hired forty prompt specialists for a 24/7 customer bot.

Conditions of the new EBRD loan. The company receives 50 million euros for modernization, but the bank requires specific performance KPIs. Optimizing personnel costs turned out to be one of the agreement's points. The impact of the war and unstable demand. Working under shelling, with blackouts and constant changes in logistics is costly. To remain mobile, the company keeps a leaner structure. Damaged infrastructure and blackouts have forced the reorganization of some routes, while certain sorting hubs had to stand idle temporarily.

What This Means for the Market — and for Specialists

Routine roles are going obsolete. Targeters, SMM managers, content creators are the first to be laid off. In Kasta, only one person remains from the entire SMM team — a growth analyst who simultaneously manages multiple advertising platforms with AI auto-targeting and monitors KPIs.

A new formula is taking shape: one specialist + three tools. A growth manager oversees cloud advertising, an AI team, and analytics — instead of several people manually. AI is not a replacement but a transformation. Intertop lost a third of its traffic due to template AI content. Only after the return of live editors and control over generation was it possible to regain organic traffic. Monobank introduced an EdTech card: each employee receives $300 for any course twice a year — from Python to AI ethics.

8 Lessons for Business

• Regular skill audits. Analyze changes in roles quarterly, don’t wait for a crisis.
• Reskilling is cheaper than layoffs. It’s more cost-effective to train your own than to hire new.
• Communication saves the brand. Openness reduces social noise and reputational losses.
• Funding with KPIs is the new norm. Prepare for transparent HR reporting ahead of getting a loan.
• Hybrid skills are a must-have. Creativity + SQL is the best 'vaccine' against layoffs.
• Internal mobility saves costs. A 'homegrown' analyst is cheaper and more loyal.
• A crisis expenditure fund. Pre-allocate compensations and courses in the budget.
• AI + humans = efficiency. An algorithm without a 'tuner' is a risk for SEO and the brand.

What to Pay Attention to Next

In 2025, the Ukrainian labor market is rapidly changing. Rozetka is hiring ML engineers, 'Nova Poshta' is looking for prompt specialists, and Kasta has kept only one growth analyst for all marketing. Instead of traditional SMM roles, there are new positions like Responsible-AI Officer.

The demand for fractional roles (for example, CAIO for 2 days a week) is growing. Even medium-sized businesses are seeking AI experts, but flexibly. AI does not replace professions — it changes their form. Skills in analytics, techniques, and ethics are the key to stable income. Those who do not adapt risk being left behind.