Russian factories employed 47,000 foreign workers in 2024 as the commercial sector looked for to stave off deepening labor shortages, the Vedomosti company daily reported Monday, mentioning Labor Ministry data.According to the data, the number of foreign employees recruited to work at factories surpassed the government-set quota of 40,500 employees by 16%.
These employees primarily came from China, India, Turkey, Serbia and other countries whose citizens require visas to travel to Russia, a ministry agent told Vedomosti.The latest data comes as Russia comes to grips with a shrinking domestic labor force, a trend sped up by demographic decrease and the exodus of skilled specialists following the intrusion of Ukraine and taking place Western sanctions.Recruiting workers from abroad ends up being objectively needed when appropriate prospects can not be discovered in Russia, the ministry representative told Vedomosti.Demand for foreign laborers is especially high for professions like welders, concrete workers, finishers and food and agricultural staff, said Dmitry Lapshinov, handling director of the recruitment agency Intrud.Labor lacks in the construction, manufacturing and technology sectors are linked to the war in Ukraine and import substitution policies, financial researcher Viktor Lyashok informed Vedomosti.Dmitry Zemlyansky, another financial scientist, stated foreign employees are most required in sectors where workers have actually transitioned to the defense industry.Construction continues to face the most acute lacks, in part due to a reduction in migrants from visa-free nations, Zemlyansky stated.
Recently, brand-new mining jobs, specifically in the Far East, have significantly depended on foreign workers in regions with consistent labor lacks.