Young Russians toiling in mines: Workforce crisis deepens
A million men have been involved in the war in Ukraine, with at least 100,000 killed and 500,000 left disabled. Still, thousands of Russians enlist in the military daily, hoping to receive millions of rubles in social benefits. At the same time, Russian industry is suffering from a record lack of workforce.
Due to the problems in Russian industry, permission has been requested to employ teenagers to work in heavy and dangerous conditions. Boys as young as 16 could work in mines, mining, enriching chemical raw materials, iron metallurgy facilities, non-ferrous metal smelting, power plants, heat plants, and refineries. The Russian Ministry of Industry and Trade requested to lift the 24-year-old ban on those under 18 working in such conditions.
The TASS agency reports the planned regulatory changes, and Russian regional portals have highlighted the issue since the most significant staff shortages are being recorded in the provinces. As a result of the war with Ukraine, the Russian economy has lost as many as 1.7 million workers, which is several percent of the country's workforce - according to findings by the Novaya Gazeta service. Deputy Prime Minister Tatyana Golikova, without mentioning the war, acknowledged that the industry is facing a "staffing crisis" and intends to create jobs for vocational school students.
- It's an important economic signal that Russian industry feels the effects of the war, bears its burdens, and may not be able to secure military production as effectively as before. We don't know the exact Russian losses in the war in Ukraine; there are only estimates. Thousands of mobilized men who survived the war may not return to the labour market due to psychological trauma - comments Dr. Adam Karpiński, an economist at the WSB Merito University in Wrocław, Poland.
The expert points out that Russia is losing human resources not only due to war casualties but also to emigration and escapes from mobilization. Since February 2022, about 700,000 men have left the country - informs The Moscow Times portal. Over 100,000 Russians have found themselves in Armenia, 80,000 in Kazakhstan, and 74,000 in Georgia.
- The decision to employ 16-year-olds seems radical. It's possible that the Kremlin is planning a new wave of male mobilization and is already thinking about replacing them. It reminds me of Stalin's times when the whole country functioned like a labour camp. The question is whether Russia will now become a gulag - adds Dr. Karpiński.
A new phenomenon shakes Russia. Lack of men for work
The Russian Ministry of Labour predicts that by 2030, there will be a shortage of 2.4 million workers - reported The Moscow Times service. The problem already affects mainly regions with the highest proportion of war casualties. The Kremlin tries to protect the population of large cities in the European part of Russia, which is referred to as a restructuring of the social structure.
- The authorities of the Russian Federation conducted mobilization in Russia and the occupied territories of Ukraine, not caring about potential disruptions to the economy. Drafts also include workers from strategic sectors. It's no surprise this has negative consequences - previously commented Dr. Michał Marek from the Centre for Research on Contemporary Security Environment, author of the monograph "Operation Ukraine" for Wirtualna Polska.
Buses stop running in Russia. Drivers fell in war
In the summer of 2024, Sergey Kuznetsov, head of the Novokuznetsk administration (500,000 residents, Siberian part of Russia), proposed the formation of a "women's battalion" to save the city from the effects of municipal service worker shortages. Women were supposed to drive buses for a salary of 100,000 rubles per month. A quarter of the city's buses came to a halt due to a lack of drivers.
The regional portal SibRealli reported that the problem stems from mobilization. The drivers "traveled to the Northern Military District under a contract." The battalion was not formed. Only 30 women, at most a platoon, attended a meeting with the mayor.
Authorities in Tomsk, Krasnoyarsk, and Novosibirsk also face similar difficulties. In January 2024, an obituary drew media attention to Aleksey Zarubin from Ulan-Ude - the title holder of "Russia's best bus driver." He perished in Ukraine.
Over a year ago, staff shortages were revealed in heating plants and gasworks of the self-declared Donetsk People's Republic. Outside the heating season, young workers were mobilized and sent to the front. From the battle of Avdiivka, 120 out of 400 workers from heating plants and 300 out of 900 gas workers did not return.
The Russian staff has classified data on the number of dead and injured. However, opposition media estimated war casualties based on the increase in the number of disabled people and local budget data for payments to contract soldiers. The Verstka service suggested that up to 500,000 men were left disabled during the war, and over 100,000 were killed.
According to sociologists, in recent decades, Russians viewed military service as a last resort for men without qualifications and prospects for better jobs. As there were no significant wars to fight, most stayed in military bases. The war in Ukraine changed the fate of those who want to fight, raising their social status. Vladimir Putin's political homeland offered veterans over 300 spots on electoral lists during regional elections to councils in 2024. The president himself announced that participants in the "special operation" are to form a new elite of authorities.
