Russia to face workforce shortage due to technological degradation – Intelligence
A forecast by the Russian Ministry of Labor for 2026–2032 indicates a serious crisis in the labor market: the aggressor state will need about 1.7 million workers annually, or 12.2 million in total. According to Ukrainian intelligence, this reflects Russia’s deep technological degradation.
This was reported by the Foreign Intelligence Service of Ukraine (SZRU).
The forecast is based on demographic realities: a shrinking youth population, an aging society, and a growing number of pensioners.
Russia’s Minister of Labor Anton Kotyakov acknowledged that the highest demand will be for blue-collar professions: tailors, welders, locksmiths, turners, and machine operators.
“According to the ministry’s estimates, the number of such workers may need to increase by 135,000–226,000 people depending on the sector. The government is trying to compensate for the deficit by betting on vocational education and boosting productivity,” the report says.
However, the SZRU notes that these measures cannot offset the systemic problems: sanctions, technological backwardness, and low levels of production automation.
The need to replace more than 12 million workers only confirms a long-term negative trend. The growing demand for mid-level labor reflects the degradation of an economy forced to shift from high-tech to labor-intensive models.
“The labor shortage, combined with mobilization risks, will inevitably intensify competition between the civilian and defense sectors. The flow of workers into the military-industrial complex will further deepen the crisis in civilian enterprises,” the intelligence service concluded.
