Patience and hard work: Russians began to find work record-breaking fast
Russians who were left without work began to get settled much faster: now it takes about five months to find a new job. Since the start of recording such data in 2009, the average search duration has been about 7.4 months, meaning the current figure has become the lowest for the entire time of observations. Izvestia investigated which main factors contributed to the reduction of the average job search period, as well as what consequences such rapid employment can have for the quality of employment and the level of wages.
The market situation
The unemployment rate in Russia remains minimal — in September it was only 2.2%, the press service of the Ministry of Labor told Izvestia. Over the past three years, over 2 million people have joined the economic activity, and the total number of employed has reached 75 million. This dynamic has led to the emergence of a "job seeker market" — a situation in which employers are forced to compete for qualified employees, publish many job offers, offer improved conditions, and show greater flexibility in hiring.
"At the same time, the employment promotion infrastructure is actively developing, including the Rabota Rossii recruitment centers, which help employers find the right specialist faster. Thus, in the regions where the Rabota Rossii recruitment centers have already been modernized, the number of recruitment services provided to employers has increased by 20%," the department said.
The reduction in the time required to find a job is due to an improvement in the labor market, the introduction of personalized "Work in Russia" services for job seekers and employers, as well as the implementation of the national project "Personnel," the Ministry of Labor noted. Within its framework, citizens are provided with free retraining in 360 sought—after professions, from working and social specialties to areas related to artificial intelligence. At the same time, employers can use their own training centers to train specialists for specific needs.
"In 2025, for citizens who applied for assistance in finding work at the Rabota Rossii recruitment centers, the average period of employment from the moment of the first application to employment in the first nine months of 2025 was 4.4 months (for the same period in 2024 — 4.7 months, in 2023 - five months). These are the national average figures, they take into account the periods of internships and retraining," the ministry's press service noted.
The reduction in the length of employment shows that professional support helps citizens get to work faster and increases the overall efficiency of the labor market, the ministry added. As a result, employers receive qualified specialists, and applicants receive suitable vacancies. According to forecasts, current trends will continue: in the coming years, workers, engineers, IT specialists, medicine and education will remain the most in demand.
Employment trends
The forecast for 2026 assumes that the unemployment rate will remain low at about 2.6% with a gradual decrease to 2.3% by 2028, Peter Shcherbachenko, associate professor at the Financial University under the Government of the Russian Federation, told Izvestia. At the same time, stability will be supported by government measures to stimulate employment, improve skills and retrain personnel; the successful implementation of the national project "Cadres", GDP growth, migration policy and investments by companies in increasing labor productivity, which will keep the number of employed at over 74 million people.
The reduction of the average job search period to five months is explained by the combination of two factors — the "demographic pit" and the "personnel shortage," Inna Litvinenko, Associate professor of Economics and Management at the Russian State University of Economics and Management, member of the Public Council at the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation, noted in an interview with Izvestia. The Russian labor market has entered a stage where the applicant gets more influence: it is the employee who now sets the conditions for salary, schedule and employment format. Young people are increasingly choosing personal development and flexibility over a traditional career, which makes work a less significant priority in life.
However, such a quick employment, according to her, may have a downside. Employers are forced to constantly compete for qualified personnel, which increases the risk of staff turnover and increases the burden on the payroll, reducing overall productivity.
At the same time, the trend towards maintaining record low unemployment at about 2.1% will continue next year, and the average job search period may be reduced to four months, mainly among young professionals and low—skilled workers.
Accelerated employment carries risks, Yanina Shimanovskaya, Vice-rector of the Russian State University for Academic Affairs, told Izvestia. Thus, employees often accept positions that do not fully meet their qualifications and expectations, which can reduce motivation, productivity, and income levels. In the future, digitalization, economic recovery and government support for employment will continue to reduce the time needed to find a job, increasing competition between employers and stimulating the growth of attractive working conditions, including flexible and remote employment formats.
Such dynamic employment also carries certain risks, Ekaterina Shveyeva, Associate Professor of the Department of Management and GMU at the Faculty of Economics and Management at MGUT Razumovsky, added in an interview with Izvestia. In particular, this is a decrease in the quality of recruitment due to haste, an increase in staff turnover, since employees do not always choose optimal vacancies, and pressure on wages in a highly competitive environment. Taken together, these factors can affect labor productivity, business sustainability, and the general well-being of the population.
The shortage of personnel forces companies to reduce requirements for candidates and retrain them in the workplace, while highly qualified applicants adapt faster to market requirements, Farida Mirzabalayeva, PhD in Economics, Associate Professor of the Basic Department of the Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry "Human Resource Management" at Plekhanov Russian University of Economics, told Izvestia. At the same time, accelerated employment carries risks: a possible reduction in social guarantees, limited career prospects and wages below market potential.
In 2026, the labor market situation will largely depend on the state of the economy, Vladislav Bukharsky, Associate Director for Sovereign and Regional Ratings at Expert RA, told Izvestia. If it slows down, there may be a reduction in demand for labor and an increase in the time required to find a job, as well as additional pressure on businesses due to an increased tax burden.
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