Silver Resource: older Russians are returning to the labor market en masse
The Russian labor market is undergoing a noticeable shift: older applicants are becoming one of the fastest growing categories of candidates. According to the data hh.ru In the first quarter of 2026, Russians over the age of 55 posted or updated more than 903,000 resumes — 15% more than a year earlier. At the same time, the activity of employers has increased: since the beginning of the year, they have sent about 1.1 million job invitations to this category of applicants. Experts attribute this trend to demographics, economic factors, and changing business approaches to hiring. How the labor market is being transformed and what role the older generation plays in it is described in the Izvestia article.
Increased activity and new expectations
Analytics hh.ru (the study is available to Izvestia) shows that the labor market is increasingly attracting candidates of the "silver age". Employers have sent more than 1.1 million invitations: men — over 584 thousand, and women — about 567 thousand.
At the same time, salary expectations are also growing. On average in Russia, the median level of the desired salary has reached 80 thousand rubles, while applicants over the age of 55 expect 82.4 thousand rubles per month. In the 60+ group, expectations are lower — about 70.8 thousand rubles.
At the same time, there is still interest in additional employment. According to Avito Part-time Jobs, the number of older applicants interested in part-time work has increased by 34%, and the average expected additional income is 34,805 rubles per month.
What professions do applicants choose 55+
The interests of older candidates are divided into two main areas — office and working professions. In the "white collar" segment, the most popular positions are accountant (more than 373 thousand responses), sales manager (over 308 thousand) and administrator (more than 171 thousand). There is also a high interest in engineering specialties — over 390 thousand responses.
The driver's position is the leader among working professions — more than 385 thousand people have responded to such vacancies. Security guards, packers, handymen, sellers and couriers are also in demand.
Demand from employers largely follows the structure of supply, but with an emphasis on scarce areas. Most often, candidates 55+ are invited to positions in industry, logistics, construction, retail, as well as in finance and the administrative segment.
Why is the older generation returning to the labor market
The growth in the activity of older applicants is due to several factors at once, says Alexandra Naumova, Director of HR Recruitment at Ventra HR Holding.
— This is, for example, the pension reform, which forces people to stay in the market longer. Financial motive — pensions are often not enough, people are forced to look for a part-time job or a full-time job. It is also worth noting that today the older generation is trying to remain active socially: to work, develop, and play sports," she told Izvestia.
According to the expert, changing the behavior of employers also plays an important role. They began to attract the older generation more often when they massively faced the problem of staff shortages.
— For them, older age is attractive primarily due to experience. Among other things, companies expect to save money: They believe that pre—retirees will be less demanding of working conditions, in particular, they will accept a lower salary and will hold on to their place more strongly," Naumova explained.
Where candidates are in demand 55+
According to Ventra, the older generation is most often attracted to areas where experience and professional expertise are important, as well as high physical activity.
According to Alexandra Naumova, we are talking about such professions as engineers, doctors, teachers, lawyers, designers, technologists and accountants. Specialists in insurance, real estate and production process management are also in demand.
There is a noticeable demand in the field of security, where age-related specialists are especially in demand today, the expert added. At the same time, the participation of 55+ candidates in the mass staff segment is growing.
— The older generation is actively attracted to the mass personnel segment for line positions: These are agriculture, retail, industrial complex, utilities, transport complex. Next is the office segment (administrators, finance directors, consultants)," the Izvestia interlocutor clarified.
At the same time, temporary employment becomes attractive for many. This category of citizens is increasingly choosing a part-time job with a comfortable schedule and workload, Naumova added.
The problem of discrimination persists
Despite the growing demand, older candidates still face barriers to employment. According to the data hh.ru 45% of applicants over the age of 55 are dealing with refusals that, in their opinion, are related specifically to age.
Formally, age discrimination is prohibited, but in practice, employers may reject candidates, citing inconsistencies with corporate culture or mobility requirements.
How will the market change in the coming years
The role of the older generation in the labor market, according to experts, will only grow. This is due to both demographic changes and the development of flexible forms of employment.
— By 2030, up to 50% of applicants may be candidates aged 50+ years. This will affect areas where there are practically no health restrictions: training, consulting, healthcare," said Alexandra Naumova.
Mentoring development will be a separate area. The demand for this area will increase due to the gap between the generations of fifties and twenties, the expert explained.
All this suggests that the Russian labor market is gradually adapting to the new demographic reality. The older generation is becoming an important human resource, and companies are increasingly relying on experience, resilience, and professional maturity.
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