Russia has one of the world's largest labor markets worldwide. In 2021, its
exceeded 75 million. With nearly 2.6 million unoccupied positions, it ranked
after the United States. Furthermore, Russia is an attractive destination for labor migrants from countries in the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), many of which had a visa-free regime with Russia. In 2021, the country
allowing foreigners to come to work in Russia without acquiring a work permit.
Labor market situation in Russia
Russia has seen a decline in young employees, which could be explained by a low fertility rate in the 1990s and dismissals during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Between September 2020 and September 2021, the
number of working 25-to-29-year-olds fell by nearly 453 thousand. Men outnumbered women, with the
male employee count reaching 37 million in 2021. By contrast, fewer than 35 million women were reported to have been working in that year.
Employment in the informal sector is considered widespread, with more than one in five Russians being employed in industries unregulated by the state.
How high are salaries in Russia?
In 2021, the
average monthly salary in Russia reached 57,244 Russian rubles (around 830 U.S. dollars as of January 2023), up 11 percent from the previous year. To compare,
consumer prices in the country increased by around seven percent throughout 2021. The wage range between 45 thousand and 55 thousand Russian rubles was the most common, as approximately
11 percent of employees earned that per month. Furthermore, eight percent were paid between 100 thousand and 200 thousand Russian rubles.
Impact of Russia-Ukraine war on employment in Russia
Due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Russia has faced an
exodus of international companies, which put their staff at risk of unemployment. Among foreign companies that limited operations or permanently left the Russian market,
food industry businesses employed 136 thousand people. Furthermore, automotive companies were reported to have 60 thousand employees in the country. The Russian government offered these companies to transfer their assets to domestic investors to minimize the effect on the labor market. The German home improvement retailer
Obi, which had employed 4,900 people in Russia, did that in April 2022.
This text provides general information. Statista assumes no
liability for the information given being complete or correct.
Due to varying update cycles, statistics can display more up-to-date
data than referenced in the text.
