Skip to content
General-news — Politics — 2023 — Rosstat — Registry — Kapelushnikov — Employment

Agents targeting the intellectually-challenged individuals

Labor Ministry Joins Forces with Multiple Agencies to Examine Active Russian Workers and Devise Strategies to Encourage Unemployed Russians to Join the Workforce. This initiative is part of a strategy against the underground economy, a plan the ministry shared with the Russian Tripartite...

,   and  ASMedia
3 min read

Agents targeting the intellectually-challenged individuals

Here's a rephrased version of the provided article:

The Russian Ministry of Labor, along with other agencies, aims to study the makeup of unemployed Russians and suggest ways to encourage their entry into the workforce. This move forms part of an effort to combat the underground economy, as detailed in a plan presented to the Russian Tripartite Commission on April 25, 2025. However, experts have expressed doubts about the untapped labor potential in Russia.

At the Russian Tripartite Commission (RTC) meeting, the Ministry of Labor unveiled a fresh government plan to combat illegal employment for 2025-2027, replacing the previous document from 2021. This update follows Federal Law No. 565 "On Employment in the Russian Federation."

According to Ministry of Labor data, approximately 9.6 million Russians are illegally employed, amounting to about 13% of the workforce (over 75 million). The target for 2024-2026 is to lower this figure by 2.9 million. In 2023, authorities managed to identify 795,000 informally employed individuals.

The plan includes 18 interagency and regional initiatives, ranging from informational and preventive measures to analysis. For instance, regional authorities are expected to develop strategies for identifying and monitoring informal workers, while federal agencies will focus on creating guidelines and efficient information systems. One example is Rostrud's continued work on a registry of employers using civil-law relations instead of formal employment contracts.

The proposed measures have stirred varied opinions. Igor Kovalchuk, chairman of the Confederation of Labor of Russia, highlighted the differing interpretations of shadow employment among trade unions and employers. Meanwhile, Marina Moskvina, managing director of the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs, voiced concerns about a provision that allows interdepartmental commissions to issue administrative penalties for non-attendance at meetings.

The plan also includes an initiative aimed at addressing the labor shortage on the Russian market. The collaboration involves several ministries and agencies, including the Ministry of Labor, Rosstat, VNIITR, the Social Fund, Ministry of Science and Higher Education, FSIN, FOMC, and the Ministry of Education. The goal is to determine the number of non-working citizens of working age and their age-gender structure. After analysis, the groups will develop strategies to help these individuals enter the workforce, likely through the "Personnel" national project's active labor market policies, such as reskilling and upskilling.

It's worth noting that the demand for labor on the Russian labor market is showing signs of decline. Rostislav Kapelushnikov, deputy head of the Labor Studies Center at the Higher School of Economics, suggests that there are few remaining employment reserves, and administrative measures alone might not stimulate economically inactive population groups to join the workforce.

Some potential strategies for integrating non-working citizens of working age into the labor market might include:

  1. Vocational Training Programs: Offering training programs to improve skills and employability.
  2. Incentives for Employers: Encouraging businesses to hire non-working citizens by offering subsidies or tax breaks.
  3. Social Support Services: Providing support services such as childcare, healthcare, and transportation to facilitate workforce entry.
  4. Infrastructure Development: Improving transportation and other infrastructures to increase access to workplaces.

These strategies are based on general trends and initiatives related to labor market integration and not directly connected to the specific Russian Ministry of Labor plan for 2025-2027. For accurate information, consulting official Ministry of Labor resources or related documents would be advisable.

  1. In 2023, the Russian Ministry of Labor identified 795,000 informally employed individuals as part of an ongoing effort aimed at combating illegal employment, as detailed in a plan presented for the 2025-2027 period.
  2. The Ministry of Labor, Rosstat, VNIITR, the Social Fund, Ministry of Science and Higher Education, FSIN, FOMC, and the Ministry of Education are collaborating on an initiative to determine the number of non-working citizens of working age and their age-gender structure, with the aim of helping these individuals enter the workforce.
  3. Experts like Rostislav Kapelushnikov from the Higher School of Economics have expressed doubts about the untapped labor potential in Russia, suggesting that administrative measures alone might not stimulate economically inactive population groups to join the workforce.
  4. In response to the proposed measures, Igor Kovalchuk, chairman of the Confederation of Labor of Russia, highlighted the differing interpretations of shadow employment among trade unions and employers, while Marina Moskvina expressed concerns about a provision that allows interdepartmental commissions to issue administrative penalties for non-attendance at meetings.
Labor authorities, in conjunction with multiple other institutions, will scrutinize the count and demographics of Russia's workless population and devise strategies to foster their job market participation. This stems from the strategy to combat the underground economy, unveiled at the Russian tripartite commission on April 25th. Nonetheless, experts believe there are no more untapped labor pools in Russia.

Read also:

Related

Latest