In‑demand professions in Russia in 2026: where workers are lacking
Russian organisations need workers most strongly in manual occupations: builders, drivers, electricians, mechanics and machine‑tool operators. Almost half of all vacancies are for manual jobs, and among specialists with higher education the largest share of vacant positions is among doctors. These are Rosstat data on organisations' need for workers as of 31 October 2024, the latest for autumn 2026: the survey is carried out every two years. Then organisations were looking for 2.23 million people, three and a half times more than in 2016. Below we examine which professions are needed most, in which sectors and regions, and how much they are paid for this work. All numbers can be opened in interactive charts.
How many workers are missing: figures by year
Rosstat asks organisations how many vacant positions they have that need people right now. The national total:
| Year (as of 31 October) | Need, thousand people | Share of all jobs |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 898.9 | 2.8% |
| 2010 | 619.5 | 2.1% |
| 2012 | 835.6 | 2.8% |
| 2014 | 820.5 | 2.8% |
| 2016 | 637.6 | 2.2% |
| 2018 | 723.5 | 2.9% |
| 2020 | 1,029.8 | 3.7% |
| 2022 | 1,511.7 | 5.4% |
| 2024 | 2,231.7 | 7.6% |
For ten years, from 2008 to 2018, the need stayed in a corridor from 620 to 900 thousand and did not rise above 3% of jobs. Then growth began, and by 2024 already 7.6% of positions were vacant, roughly one in thirteen.
Which professions are most in demand
You can look at the number of vacancies or at the share of vacant positions in a profession. The former shows the scale, the latter shows where it is harder to find people.
By number of vacancies in 2024, workers are ahead:
- qualified industrial, construction and transport workers: 420.3 thousand vacancies;
- plant operators, assemblers and drivers: 343.1 thousand, of which drivers and machinists 216.2 thousand;
- unskilled workers: 271.1 thousand;
- metalworkers, mechanics and repairers: 166.5 thousand;
- construction workers: 112.1 thousand.
Three worker groups together give 1.03 million vacancies, 46% of the total demand. Specialists of the highest qualification level are sought for 497.4 thousand, but this group employs 7.8 million people, and only 6% of positions are vacant.
By share of vacant positions the picture is different. Here at the top are professions where there are few people and replacement is hard to find.
Among vegetable growers, orchardists and field workers 19.9% of positions are vacant, among foresters 17.7%, among construction workers 13%. Above the average 7.6% are also electricians and electronics specialists (10.9%), IT and communications technicians (10.7%), drivers (9.9%) and assistant cooks (11.4%). A detailed list of 46 professional groups, with the number of workers and vacancies in each, is in the 2024 profession dataset.
The smallest share of vacant positions is among teachers and lecturers (3.4%) and among managers (4.5%). Teachers are sought for 95 thousand, but there are 2.7 million of them, and their vacancy share is almost four times lower than that of builders. More about school staff is in the article "How many schoolchildren and teachers are there in Russia".
Who Are Searched for Most Frequently
From 2016 to 2024 the demand grew overall by 3.5 times, but it varies greatly by profession:
- unskilled workers in extraction, construction, industry and transport: from 10.4 to 86.2 thousand, by 8.3 times;
- specialists in business and administration: from 18.2 to 96.1 thousand, by 5.3 times;
- drivers and machinists: from 44.8 to 216.2 thousand, by 4.8 times;
- skilled workers: from 102.9 to 420.3 thousand, by 4.1 times.
Sellers moved in the opposite direction. In 2022 shops were looking for 95 thousand sellers, in 2024 already 77.8 thousand, the share of vacant positions fell from 9.2% to 7.3%. This is the only large group where vacancies decreased.
Doctors Have Been Shortage for a Long Time
Among health specialists, i.e., primarily doctors, the share of vacant positions is the highest among all higher‑educated specialists in every survey since 2016. In 2016 it was 7.9% against the national average of 2.2%, and in 2024 it was 10.3%. At the same time the number of doctor vacancies grew only 1.44 times, from 58.5 to 84.2 thousand. In the rest of the economy the deficit grew faster, while in medicine it had been high earlier. Nurses and paramedics (average medical staff) look calmer: 94.9 thousand vacancies and 6.6% vacant positions. How many doctors are in the country and how their number has changed is shown in the summary "Number of Doctors by Year"(/pokazateli/chislo-vrachey-po-godam).
Which Workers Are Lacking by Industry
If we look not at the profession but at the place of work, in 2024 the most vacancies are in manufacturing: 432.1 thousand, 7.7% of jobs. In 2018 there were 95.2 thousand people sought, a growth of 4.5 times. Next are health care (263 thousand), trade (257.8 thousand) and transport with warehouses (237.2 thousand).
The hardest to fill are hotels and catering: there 14.3% of places are vacant. Next are real‑estate operations (13.3%), water supply and waste removal (12%), administrative services (12%), construction (11.5%) and agriculture (10.9%). In education only 3.6%. All industries since 2018 are collected in the table by activity types(/dataset/potr2-potrebnost-organizaciy-v-rabotnikah-dlya-zamescheniya-2).
Where workers are lacking: regions
The most vacant places are in Sevastopol (16.3%), Chukotka (12.1%), Kamchatka (11.9%), Moscow Oblast (11%) and Magadan (10.7%). Rows for each region since 2008 are opened in table by Russian subjects.
In absolute numbers the capitals decide everything: Moscow sought 346.6 thousand workers, Moscow Oblast 199 thousand, together almost a quarter of the whole country's demand. At the other end of the North Caucasus republics: Ingushetia has 0.4% vacant places, Chechnya 1.1%, Dagestan 2%. Compare these figures with unemployment in the regional unemployment rating.
How much they pay in in‑demand professions
Workers are now paid no less than the national average. In October 2025 the average salary of a skilled worker was 98,120 rubles, operators and drivers 97,921 rubles. This is higher than the average for all employees (97,179 rubles) and almost on par with specialists of the highest qualification level (102,998 rubles).
Ten years ago the gap was larger. In October 2015 a worker earned 32,062 rubles, a top‑level specialist 37,023. Over ten years workers' salaries grew 3.1 times, specialists 2.8 times. The lowest paid remain unskilled workers (52,067 rubles) and trade, services and security staff (59,516 rubles). The full table by year is in the salary dataset by professions, and salaries by industry are broken down in the article "Average salary by industry".
How Rosstat Calculates the Need for Workers
Survey is sample-based. Organizations report how many people they need for vacant positions as of October 31. Small businesses, finance and insurance, public administration and the army are not included in the count. The share of vacant positions is calculated from all jobs, i.e., from the sum of employed and vacancies. The survey is conducted in even years, so the next snapshot will be in October 2026.
There is also a second source with different coverage: the number of required workers at the end of the year in large and medium organizations, now including public administration and finance. According to it, at the end of 2024 there was a need for 2.653718 million people (7.8% of places) compared with 2.337066 million a year earlier. The most vacancies are in public administration and social security: 426.120 thousand, that is 14% of places. Details are in the table of required workers by industry.
Questions and Answers
Which professions are the most in demand in Russia? By number of vacancies: skilled workers (420.3 thousand), drivers and operators (216.2 thousand), metalworkers, mechanics and repairers (166.5 thousand), builders (112.1 thousand). By share of vacant places: agricultural and forestry workers, builders, electricians and doctors.
Which specialists with higher education are most lacking? Doctors: 10.3% of health specialists' places are vacant. IT specialists 6.6%, lawyers and humanities specialists 6.6%, engineers and scientists 6.8%, teachers 3.4%.
Are IT specialists in demand? Yes, but not more than workers. As of October 31 2024, organizations were looking for 31.7 thousand IT specialists and 10.7 thousand IT and communications technicians. Technicians have 10.7% vacant places, specialists 6.6%, both below the average 7.6%.
Is there data for 2026? Not yet. The latest survey was on October 31 2024, the next scheduled one will be in October 2026.
Briefly
- As of October 31, 2024, organizations were looking for 2.23 million workers, 7.6% of all jobs. In 2016 there were 638 thousand and 2.2%.
- Almost half of the vacancies are for laborers: skilled workers, drivers and operators, and general workers.
- The hardest to find are vegetable growers, foresters, builders, electricians and doctors.
- Workers' wages caught up with the national average: 98,120 rubles in October 2025.
Data source: Rosstat, sample surveys of organizations on demand for workers and wages by professional groups.