HR expert named the reasons for the growth of competition in the labor market in 2026

In 2026, the Russian labor market finally switched to the employer's side: the number of vacancies decreased, and there were noticeably more applicants. Olga Rzhevskaya, HR Director of the Sidorin Lab reputation company, told Izvestia about this. According to her, the key indicator was the change in the hh.index (HeadHunter index), an indicator of the level of competition in the labor market, reflecting the ratio of the number of active resumes to the number of open vacancies on the platform. This index reached 8.6 points in December 2025, compared to 3.5 two years earlier.

"Over the year, the number of vacancies decreased by 28%, while the number of active resumes increased by 37%. Companies have moved from mass hiring to targeted recruitment and process optimization — 63% of employers cite increasing labor productivity as their top priority," Rzhevskaya explained.

The expert noted that automation exerts additional pressure on the market.

"29% of employees are already afraid that they may be replaced by technology in the next two years, which is three times more than a year ago. As a result, employers have gained a stronger negotiating position, and applicants have to prove their worth with specific skills and results," she stressed.

The fiercest competition is in marketing, advertising and PR, where there are an average of 27 resumes per vacancy. In IT, this figure exceeds 20, and in finance and accounting it is approaching 13. At the same time, the shortage of personnel has not disappeared in engineering and technical specialties, as well as in medicine.

Rzhevskaya stressed that the introduction of AI is also changing the hiring structure. Junior accountants, legal assistants, and analysts whose work involves repetitive operations are at risk. That is why candidates who are able to combine professional competencies with digital skills win.

"Employers are looking less and less at diplomas and more and more at case studies. AI skills, data analytics and process automation are becoming a crucial advantage, and adaptability and communication are among the key soft skills," said Rzhevskaya.

She added that in 2026, the hiring decision is most often made in two stages: first, a rigorous screening based on experience and skills, and then a choice based on personal qualities and development potential.

"The number of years in the profession no longer guarantees success. It is more important what tasks a person solved and what measurable benefits he brought to the business. The winners are those who know how to learn, work with technology and quickly integrate into new processes," concluded the HR expert.

Read more in the Izvestia article:

The elimination game: who will survive in the labor market in 2026

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