Russia’s labor drought deepens as central bank chief flags 2.5 million missing workers

Russia faces an unprecedented labor shortage after FinExpertiza data show the labor reserve shrinking by about 2.5 million since the 2022 invasion, a figure Bank of Russia chair Elvira Nabiullina publicly confirmed. The shrinking pool is driving wage pressures while industry cuts and lower production persist, as emigration and demographic decline deepen the squeeze. In response, the state is leaning on automation, retraining, and the gig/self‑employment push, but analysts warn that without sustained productivity growth of around 3–4% annually the gap will widen.