In 2024, Russian factories recruited 47,000 foreign workers in an effort to mitigate escalating labor shortages in the industrial sector, according to a report by the business daily Vedomosti, referencing data from the Labor Ministry.

The figures revealed that the number of foreign employees brought in surpassed the government-mandated cap of 40,500 workers by 16%.

Most of these workers originated from countries such as China, India, Turkey, and Serbia, as well as other nations whose citizens are required to obtain visas to enter Russia, as stated by a ministry official to Vedomosti.

This new information arises as Russia faces a diminishing domestic labor pool, a situation further exacerbated by declining demographics and the emigration of skilled workers following the invasion of Ukraine and the subsequent Western sanctions.

The recruitment of international workers has become “objectively necessary” when suitable candidates are unavailable within Russia, the official mentioned.

There is particularly strong demand for foreign labor in professions such as welding, concrete work, finishing, and roles in the food and agricultural sectors, noted Dmitry Lapshinov, the managing director of the recruitment agency Intrud.

Labor deficits in construction, manufacturing, and technology are tied to the conflict in Ukraine and policies aimed at import substitution, as explained by economic researcher Viktor Lyashok to Vedomosti.

Another economic analyst, Dmitry Zemlyansky, highlighted that foreign workers are in high demand in sectors where local labor has shifted toward the defense industry.

“Construction is experiencing the most severe shortages, partly due to a decrease in migrants from countries without visa requirements,” Zemlyansky commented. “In recent years, new mining initiatives, particularly in the Far East, have increasingly depended on foreign labor due to ongoing labor scarcities in these regions.”