Growth points: small and medium-sized businesses become drivers of the economy
Small and medium-sized businesses are becoming one of the main sources of new jobs in the Russian economy. Over the past five years, the largest employment growth has been recorded in the healthcare, IT, and manufacturing sectors, with up to 15 employees per company. Currently, almost 18.5 million people work in SMEs, and the number of companies has reached a record 6.86 million. How changes in demand, digitalization and support for entrepreneurs affect the labor market and the economic growth of the country — in the material of Izvestia.
A boom in spheres
Over the past five years, employment in healthcare and information technology has grown the most in small and medium-sized businesses, the SME Corporation reported. In these areas, there are an average of 15 and 11 employees per company, respectively. For comparison, the overall figure for the SME sector is about eight people per company. The manufacturing industry also shows high employment, with about 15 employees per company.
In total, almost 18.5 million people are employed in small and medium—sized businesses, and more than 2.2 million companies have employees, which is about one in three SME organizations. The lowest number of employees is recorded in household services, education and trade. In the latter, the average employment decreased from six to five people per company due to digitalization and automation of processes, while the development of production creates new jobs. Alexander Isaevich, CEO of SME Corporation, noted that the growth of employment in IT and healthcare is associated with an increase in demand for qualified specialists.
Moscow is the leader among the regions, with about 10 employees per SME. In five years, the number in the capital has grown from 9 to 10 people. Next are St. Petersburg and the Kaluga Region with nine employees per company. In Voronezh, Bryansk, Pskov, Kostroma, Magadan regions, Chuvashia and Khanty–Mansi Autonomous Okrug, the average employment is 8.8-8.9 people. Enterprises in the republics of Altai, Ingushetia, Kalmykia, Buryatia, Tuva and Sakha had the lowest rates.
Targeted growth
In healthcare, the increase in employment is associated with the growth of the private medical market: the number of private clinics, dentists, laboratories, and diagnostic centers is increasing due to increased demand for affordable medical services. In particular, the revenue of the 200 largest private clinics in Russia increased by 18.4% to 549 billion rubles by the end of 2025.
According to statistics, the market for paid medicine in the Russian Federation continues to expand: every year Russians spend about 2 trillion rubles on medical services. One medical center usually creates jobs for dozens of specialists, including doctors, nurses, administrators, and technical staff.
In the IT sector, the digitalization of the economy has become the main growth factor. According to analysts, the Russian information technology market is growing by several percent annually, while the demand for specialists remains high. The number of employees in the Russian IT industry increased by 20% in 2025 and reached 1.87 million people, and companies continue to expand their teams due to the introduction of software, cloud technologies and solutions based on artificial intelligence.
The future of business
The increase in the number of employees in small and medium-sized businesses is associated with an increase in the number of enterprises, the development of new industries and an increase in demand for various services. Since the beginning of 2026, more than 100,000 new small and medium-sized businesses have been registered in Russia. About 24% of them work in priority areas of the economy: manufacturing, IT and communications, tourism, scientific and technical activities.
Thanks to this, the number of SMEs reached a record high of 6.86 million companies, which is 4% more than in the same period last year. The largest increase was shown by professional, scientific and technical activities — more than 5 thousand new enterprises, IT and communications — 2.9 thousand, hotel business and catering — 2.3 thousand, manufacturing — 1.5 thousand.
The growth of small and medium-sized businesses is supported by programs to help entrepreneurs: preferential loans, umbrella guarantees and preferential leasing. Such measures help companies to develop faster and increase the number of jobs. At the same time, enterprises that have taken advantage of special financing programs show income and employment growth 2-3 times faster than the average for the sector. Moscow has become the leader among the regions in increasing the number of SMEs, with 4.9 thousand more enterprises appearing there since the beginning of the year.
Impact on the economy
Small and medium-sized businesses are able to adapt most quickly to changing conditions, quickly enter new markets, actively creating vacancies, Alexander Isaevich, CEO of SME Corporation, told Izvestia. And even in conditions of economic instability, it was small and medium-sized enterprises, as the most mobile type of business, that helped balance the labor market by being the first to respond to new challenges.
— A set of state support measures plays an important role in this process. Until 2025, they were provided to small and medium-sized enterprises as part of a core national project. Today, SMEs continue to receive it as part of a federal project that focuses on priority sectors: manufacturing and IT, tourism, scientific and technical activities. It is these areas that have the potential for further growth and recruitment today," he said.
First of all, increasing employment in SMEs helps to develop the regional economy: small and medium-sized companies are more likely to open near consumers, so they create jobs in cities and small towns. New employees receive income, which is then used to purchase goods and services. And this increases the turnover of other enterprises and supports the domestic market.
In addition, the growth of employment in SMEs affects the development of entrepreneurship and competition within the economy: when new companies appear, the market receives more manufacturers, service providers and new ideas. Entrepreneurs respond more quickly to changes in demand and create products for the specific needs of the population.
In the long term, employment growth in small and medium-sized businesses will further strengthen the country's economic stability. A large number of operating enterprises reduces the economy's dependence on individual large companies and creates a more diverse structure of production and services. The development of SMEs also contributes to the emergence of new specialists and an increase in citizens' incomes. Therefore, an increase in the number of employees in SMEs is becoming one of the factors of economic growth and increasing the competitiveness of the country.
In order for employment in small and medium-sized businesses to be higher, it is necessary that businesses have more income and have the opportunity to invest in development, the vice president of Opora Russia, an expert in the Popular Front, told Izvestia. Analytics" Artem Artemyev.
— For this, it is necessary to stimulate, first of all, those who work "in white", because in small businesses, the cost of photography often makes up a significant part of the budget, as a result, tax deductions too. Those who work in the gray zone incur less costs and gain an unreasonable competitive advantage," he said.
Izvestia sent a request to the Ministry of Economic Development, but no response had been received at the time of publication.
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