{"id":1372635,"date":"2026-05-19T21:04:00","date_gmt":"2026-05-19T18:04:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/uatv.ua\/?p=1372635"},"modified":"2026-05-19T16:48:21","modified_gmt":"2026-05-19T13:48:21","slug":"russia-faces-worst-labor-shortage-of-the-war-era","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/uatv.ua\/en\/russia-faces-worst-labor-shortage-of-the-war-era\/","title":{"rendered":"Russia Faces Worst Labor Shortage of the War Era"},"content":{"rendered":"

Russia is experiencing its most severe labor shortage since the start of the full-scale war against Ukraine, a crisis that could weigh on the Russian economy for years, according to a report by Bloomberg<\/a>,\u00a0UATV English<\/a>\u00a0reports.<\/p>\n

The report estimates that Russia currently needs an additional 1.5 million workers to stabilize its labor market. Analysts say the situation has been significantly worsened by the war, demographic decline, emigration, and mounting military losses.<\/p>\n

According to the Center for Strategic and International Studies, Russia had suffered around 1.2 million military casualties by January 2026, including approximately 325,000 killed.<\/p>\n

Even if the war ends, Bloomberg notes that Russia\u2019s labor crisis is expected to persist because the underlying demographic problems predate the invasion.<\/p>\n

The Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs reportedly forecasts a labor shortage of up to 3 million workers by 2030.<\/p>\n

Earlier this year, Elvira Nabiullina acknowledged that modern Russia has never faced such an acute shortage of labor.<\/p>\n

At the same time, Vladimir Putin has repeatedly highlighted Russia\u2019s low unemployment rate of 2.2%, though economists argue this reflects an overheated labor market with almost no remaining growth capacity.<\/p>\n

Bloomberg reports that Russia\u2019s working-age population had already declined by nearly 5 million people between 2015 and 2022. The country\u2019s Labor Ministry estimates the current working-age population at roughly 74 million people.<\/p>\n

Independent Russian demographer Igor Yefremov said the number of workers aged 25 to 39 has dropped by around 4 million, while the share of employees aged 55 and older continues to rise.<\/p>\n

The demographic decline is largely tied to the collapse in birth rates following the breakup of the Soviet Union in the 1990s.<\/p>\n

The report also estimates that emigration since 2022 reduced Russia\u2019s labor force by another 300,000\u2013400,000 people, while stricter migration policies led to the loss of roughly 1 million temporary migrant workers.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, the Russian military itself has removed between 700,000 and 900,000 people from the civilian labor market, according to the analysis.<\/p>\n

Bloomberg notes that although a slightly larger generation may enter the labor market in the coming years due to pro-birth policies introduced in the 2000s, the overall trend of population aging and declining birth rates is expected to continue.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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