Russian Industry and Trade Ministry estimates workforce shortage in manufacturing sector at 1.9 mln people

MOSCOW. April 24 (Interfax) - Russia's manufacturing sector needs approximately 1.9 million additional workers, Industry and Trade Minister Anton Alikhanov said, citing data from the State Information System for Industry.

"As a ministry, through our information system, the State Information System for Industry, we are able to promptly collect requests and certain data from companies. Our estimate, which actually coincides with assessments from the government's social policy division, is that there is a need for around 1.9 million more people in the manufacturing sector," Alikhanov said in an interview with the Rossiya-24 television channel in response to a question about the scale of the workforce shortage.

Out of the total required workforce, a figure of "500,000-530,000 are individuals with higher education, and the remaining approximately 1.4 million need to have vocational education, based on the goals set by our national technological leadership projects," he said.

The average salary in the manufacturing sector exceeded 88,000 rubles at the end of 2024, rising 17% in nominal terms compared to 2023, he said. "The trend is quite positive," he said.

According to Rosstat, the unemployment rate in Russia stood at 2.4% in February 2025, remaining at the same level as in January. The average monthly salary in 2024 was 87,952 rubles, up 18.3% in nominal terms, it said.