Russia's long-term joblessness nearly doubles

In Russia, the number of people unable to find work for more than a year has nearly doubled. The share of unemployed individuals in Russia searching for employment for over a year has increased.

Consensus

The share of Russians unable to find work for 12 months or more increased from 9.7% in July 21025 to 13.3% by July 2026.
The number of people experiencing long-term joblessness is approximately 226,000.
The official unemployment rate in Russia remains at a record low of 2.3%.
The average duration of job search in July 2026 was 5.1 months.
Women take longer to find work than men, with an average of 5.6 months compared to 4.4 months for men.
There is a growing shortage of workers in production and construction, while competition is increasing for office roles such as administrators, secretaries, and sales managers.
Companies are delaying hiring and adding more tests, extending the recruitment process up to six months.
People who are long-term unemployed do not receive unemployment benefits, which are only paid for six months after job loss.

Points of divergence

Prof. Alexander Safonov from the Financial University attributes the rise in long-term joblessness to economic slowdown, workforce optimization by employers, reduced vacancies, and structural shifts like digitalization. — vesti
HR expert Zuliyah Loikova identifies systemic issues and candidate behavior—such as mass template applications, refusal of compromises, and poor resume customization—as key barriers to job placement. — vm
Loikova notes that AI algorithms are creating a 'battle between two AIs,' where AI-generated resumes are easily detected and rejected by experienced HR professionals. — vm
Loikova reports a rise in inappropriate behavior among job seekers, including insults and threats during interviews, indicating high societal stress. — vm
Young people, pre-retirement and older individuals, women with young children, people with disabilities, and those returning after maternity leave face the longest job search periods. — tg_astrapress
Victoria Pavlyushina of ATRÉ notes that the labor shortage is concentrated in production and construction, while office roles face intensified competition. — tg_moscowtimes_ru
Anna Khripchenko from the Presidential Academy states that companies are making hiring more complex by adding extra tests and prolonging the process. — tg_moscowtimes_ru

Coverage (6 sources)

Search for a new job is taking more time for Russians — Вести
Hidden becomes visible. How unemployment is growing in Russia — Радио Свобода
Situation with job search in Russia in autumn-2026: opinion of HR expert — Вечерняя Москва
In Russia, the number of people unable to find work for more than a year has nearly doubled — ASTRA
In Russia, stagnant unemployment began to rise — The Moscow Times
The share of Russians who have been without work for more than a year has risen to 13.3 percent — Вечерняя Москва

Russia's long-term joblessness nearly doubles

Consensus

Points of divergence

Coverage (6 sources)

Key entities

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