Russia Jobless Rate Ticks Down as Expected

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.

Russia's unemployment rate edged up to 2.2% in June 2026 from 2.1% in the previous month. The labor force increased to 76.5 million from 76.3 million, the highest level since October 2025, while the number of unemployed rose to 1.7 million from 1.6 million. At the same time, employment reached a fresh high of 74.8 million from 74.7 million, also the highest level since October 2025, lifting the employment rate to 61.6%. Despite the slight increase in unemployment, labor market conditions remain tight, reflecting persistent worker shortages across multiple sectors, driven by military mobilization following Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, alongside sustained emigration. Authorities expect labor market constraints to persist, projecting a shortfall of around 3.1 million workers by 2030.