2026.02.0617:15:41UTC+00Russia Jobless Rate Remains Near Record Low

Russia experienced a slight uptick in its unemployment rate, rising to 2.2% in December 2025 from 2.1% in the prior month, aligning with market projections. Despite this minor increase, the unemployment figures continue to hover near historically low levels, indicating persistent labor shortages since the military deployment in February 2022. The count of unemployed individuals increased slightly to 1.643 million from 1.636 million in November, while the total labor force remained steady at 76.3 million. Employment figures held firm at 74.7 million, maintaining an employment rate of 61.7%. Additionally, the number of officially registered unemployed people remained largely unchanged at approximately 0.3 million. Looking forward, Russian authorities anticipate heightened labor market pressures, predicting a significant shortfall of around 3.1 million workers by 2030.