Russia facing its worst labor shortage in decades - British Intelligence

Russia is facing its worst labor shortage in decades due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the war it unleashed against Ukraine.

The British Ministry of Defense reported this on Twitter with reference to intelligence data, Ukrinform reports.

"The Russian Central Bank surveyed 14,000 employers and found that the number of available employees was at its lowest level since 1998," the summary said.

Over the past three years, due to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic and the war against Ukraine, Russia’s population has reportedly decreased by two million more people than expected.

Up to 1.3 million people left Russia in 2022, including many younger and well-educated people in high-value industries. Russia's Communications Ministry said about 10% (100,000) of the IT workforce left the aggressor country last year and never returned.

"Mobilisation, historically high emigration, and an ageing and shrinking population is limiting the labour supply. This will likely lead to a reduction in the potential growth of the Russian economy and risks stoking inflation," intelligence agency said.

As Ukrinform reported earlier, in its previous summary, British intelligence said six Russian regions, temporarily occupied Crimea, and 21 cities canceled Victory Day parades earlier scheduled for May 9, citing security reasons.