The Russian Federation is experiencing a significant shortage of personnel amid the ongoing war against Ukraine.
According to Ukrinform, this was reported by the Foreign Intelligence Service of Ukraine.
According to intelligence, in 2024, the labor shortage in Russia reached a record 2.6 million people, which is 17% more than a year earlier.
The FISU emphasized that if the current dynamics continue, the shortage of personnel could reach 4 million over the next five years. The greatest demand is expected for medium- and high-skilled workers, particularly in key sectors of the economy.
According to intelligence reports, Russian industry has lost almost a third of the required personnel – about 391,000 engineers and equipment operators. In the trade sector, more than 347,000 jobs are not staffed. The transportation industry is experiencing a shortage of more than 200 thousand drivers. The most critical situation is in the agricultural sector, where the shortage of workers has reached 35%.
One of the main reasons for the staffing crisis is mobilization measures and mass emigration of highly qualified specialists and representatives of scarce professions. According to the Foreign Intelligence Service, between 650,000 and 1.1 million people left Russia to avoid conscription.
Other reasons for the staffing crisis include the demographic pit of the 1990s, the chronic unattractiveness of the labor market in the agricultural and industrial sectors due to low pay and difficult working conditions, the lack of systematic training of technical specialists, and business reliance on migrants instead of investment in training and automation.
The intelligence service noted that such measures as a 10-15% increase in wages in a number of companies did not compensate for the losses.
According to the FISU, the staff shortage is becoming systemic and threatens the long-term stability of the Russian economy. They emphasized that amid the ongoing war against Ukraine, the Kremlin’s efforts to overcome the crisis remain fragmented and ineffective.
As Ukrinform reported earlier, the Russian domestic market is experiencing a decline in fuel supplies as a result of a drop in the profitability of oil refineries.
Photo: szru.gov.ua
Source: Russia faces major labor shortage due to war in Ukraine – foreign intel
