By KYIV. May 8 (Interfax-Ukraine) – More than 1 million Russian citizens left the country in 2022, thereby provoking the largest labor shortage since 1998, according to a defense intelligence report released by the UK Department of Defense on Twitter.
British intelligence said Russia is facing its biggest labor shortage in decades.
In particular, the Russian Central Bank conducted a survey of 14,000 employers and found that the number of employees is at its lowest level since 1998.
“Over the last three years, Russia’s population has reportedly decreased by 2 million more people than expected due to the impacts of COVID-19 and the war in Ukraine. Russia saw up to 1.3 million people leave the country in 2022, including many younger and well-educated people in high-value industries,” according to the statement.
The Russian Ministry of Communications said about 10% (100,000) of the IT workforce left the country in 2022 and did not return.
“Mobilization, historically high emigration, and an ageing and shrinking population is limiting the labour supply. This will likely lead to reduction in the potential growth of the Russian economy and risks stoking inflation,” the ministry said.
