Russia Jobless Rate Remains 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.