Russia’s unemployment rate remained steady at 2.2% in January, unchanged from December and below market expectations of 2.3%. The persistently low unemployment highlights a widespread labor shortage, exacerbated since Moscow deployed its military to Ukraine in February 2022. The number of unemployed rose slightly to 1.66 million from 1.643 million in December. Authorities project that the labor market will stay tight for years, forecasting a shortfall of 3.1 million workers by 2030. source: Federal State Statistics Service

Unemployment Rate in Russia remained unchanged at 2.20 percent in January. Unemployment Rate in Russia averaged 6.71 percent from 1992 until 2026, reaching an all time high of 14.60 percent in February of 1999 and a record low of 2.10 percent in August of 2025. This page provides - Russia Unemployment Rate - actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news. Russia Unemployment Rate - data, historical chart, forecasts and calendar of releases - was last updated on March of 2026.

Unemployment Rate in Russia remained unchanged at 2.20 percent in January. Unemployment Rate in Russia is expected to be 2.30 percent by the end of this quarter, according to Trading Economics global macro models and analysts expectations. In the long-term, the Russia Unemployment Rate is projected to trend around 3.00 percent in 2027, according to our econometric models.



Calendar GMT Reference Actual Previous Consensus TEForecast
2026-02-06 04:00 PM
Unemployment Rate
Dec 2.2% 2.1% 2.2% 2.1%
2026-03-04 04:00 PM
Unemployment Rate
Jan 2.2% 2.2% 2.3% 2.2%
2026-04-01 04:00 PM
Unemployment Rate
Feb 2.2%


Related Last Previous Unit Reference
Employed Persons 74.70 74.70 Million Dec 2025
Employment Rate 61.70 61.70 percent Dec 2025
Labor Force Participation Rate 63.10 63.10 percent Dec 2025
Minimum Wages 27093.00 22440.00 RUB/Month Jan 2026
Population 146.10 146.10 Million Dec 2025
Productivity 3.40 2.40 percent Dec 2024
Unemployed Persons 1.60 1.60 Million Dec 2025
Unemployment Rate 2.20 2.20 percent Jan 2026
Real Wage Growth YoY 2.40 5.80 percent Dec 2025
Wages 139727.00 98193.00 RUB/Month Dec 2025
Wages in Manufacturing 99627.10 101369.90 RUB/Month Nov 2025


Russia Unemployment Rate
In Russia, the unemployment rate measures the number of people actively looking for a job as a percentage of the labour force.
Actual Previous Highest Lowest Dates Unit Frequency
2.20 2.20 14.60 2.10 1992 - 2026 percent Monthly

News Stream
Russia Jobless Rate Below Forecasts
Russia’s unemployment rate remained steady at 2.2% in January, unchanged from December and below market expectations of 2.3%. The persistently low unemployment highlights a widespread labor shortage, exacerbated since Moscow deployed its military to Ukraine in February 2022. The number of unemployed rose slightly to 1.66 million from 1.643 million in December. Authorities project that the labor market will stay tight for years, forecasting a shortfall of 3.1 million workers by 2030.
2026-03-04
Russia Jobless Rate Holds Near Record Low
Russia’s unemployment rate ticked up to 2.2% in December 2025 from 2.1% in the previous month, in line with market expectations. Despite the slight increase, unemployment remains near record-low levels, underscoring persistent labor shortages across the economy since the deployment of military forces in February 2022. The number of unemployed rose modestly to 1.643 million from 1.636 million in November, while the overall labor force was unchanged at 76.3 million. Employment stood at 74.7 million, leaving the employment rate steady at 61.7%. Meanwhile, the number of officially registered unemployed remained broadly stable at around 0.3 million. Looking ahead, Russian authorities expect labor market pressures to intensify, with the country facing an estimated shortfall of roughly 3.1 million workers by 2030.
2026-02-06
Russia Unemployment Rate Falls to New Record Low
Russia’s unemployment rate fell to a record low of 2.1% in November 2025, slightly below analysts’ expectations of 2.2%, continuing a trend of historically low joblessness. The total number of unemployed declined to 1.636 million from 1.657 million in October and was well below 1.797 million a year earlier. Officially registered unemployment edged up slightly to 0.352 million from 0.351 million. The tight labor market reflects a widespread shortage affecting all sectors, exacerbated by military recruitment and defense industry hiring following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, as well as emigration. Authorities project the labor shortfall could widen further in coming years, potentially reaching 2.5–5 million workers, posing challenges for economic growth and workforce availability across civilian industries.
2025-12-26