Russia is facing unprecedented personnel crisis due to protracted war against Ukraine - Foreign Intelligence Service
In 2024, the labor shortage in Russia reached a record 2.6 million people, which is 17% more than a year earlier.
This is reported by the Foreign Intelligence Service of Ukraine, Censor.NET reports.
"If the current dynamics continue, over the next five years, the shortage of personnel could reach 4 million. The greatest demand is expected to be for medium- and high-skilled workers, particularly in key sectors of the economy," the report says.
What is the situation with staff in different industries?
The FISU notes that the industry has lost almost a third of the necessary personnel - about 391 thousand engineers and equipment operators. In the trade sector, more than 347 thousand jobs are not staffed, and 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%.
The main causes of the staffing crisis include:
- mobilization measures and mass emigration of highly qualified specialists and representatives of scarce specialties (from 650 thousand to 1.1 million people left the country to avoid conscription)
- the demographic pit of the 1990s;
- chronic unattractiveness of the labor market in the agricultural and industrial sectors due to low wages and difficult working conditions;
- lack of systematic training of technical specialists;
- businesses relying on migrants instead of investing in training and automation.
Despite a 10-15% increase in wages at a number of companies, these measures reportedly did not compensate for the losses.
The staff shortage is becoming systemic and threatens the long-term stability of the Russian economy. Against the backdrop of the ongoing war against Ukraine, the Kremlin's efforts to overcome the crisis remain fragmented and ineffective.
