Russia Jobless Rate Ticks Down as Expected

Russia’s unemployment rate was unchanged at 2.2% in September 2026, the same as in August and matching market expectations. On a yearly basis, the unemployment rate was also unchanged from 2.2% in September 2025. The labor force aged 15 and over held at 76.7 million people, including 75 million employed and 1.7 million unemployed, up from 1.6 million in the previous month. Registered unemployment remained low at around 0.3 million people, or 0.4% of the labor force. The number of unemployed increased by 0.3% from a year earlier, while employment rose by 0.6%. Labor market conditions remain tight, reflecting persistent worker shortages across multiple sectors amid military mobilization following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 and sustained emigration. Authorities expect labor constraints to persist, projecting a shortfall of around 3.1 million workers by 2030.

Russia’s unemployment rate edged down to 2.2% in August 2026 from 2.3% in July, matching markets expectations. The number of unemployed people fell by 0.1 million to 1.6 million, while the labor force increased to 76.7 million. Employment rose to 75 million, its highest level since August 2025. Registered unemployment remained low at around 0.3 million people, equivalent to 0.4% of the labor force.Labor market conditions remain tight, reflecting persistent worker shortages across multiple sectors amid military mobilization following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 and sustained emigration. Authorities expect labor constraints to persist, projecting a shortfall of around 3.1 million workers by 2030.

Russia’s unemployment rate edged up to 2.3% in July 2026 from 2.2% in June, reaching its highest level since April 2025. The labor force aged 15 and over totaled 76.4 million people, including 74.7 million employed and 1.7 million unemployed. Registered unemployment remained low at around 0.3 million people, or 0.4% of the labor force. On a yearly basis, the unemployment rate rose to 2.3% from 2.2% in July 2025. The number of unemployed increased by 4.8%, while employment fell by 0.5%. Despite the slight rise in unemployment, labor market conditions remain tight, reflecting persistent worker shortages across multiple sectors amid military mobilization following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 and sustained emigration. Authorities expect labor constraints to persist, projecting a shortfall of around 3.1 million workers by 2030.