The Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation has floated a proposal to treat marketplaces the same as retail chains and to prohibit engaging self-employed workers. The disclosure came through the daily newspaper Vedomosti.
The ministry argues that such steps would streamline interactions between online retailers and their business partners and would improve site transparency for both buyers and sellers.
Industry experts caution that these changes might reduce the pool of available workers on marketplaces. Freelancers are commonly employed for tasks such as unloading goods and driving; a ban on hiring self-employed personnel could make it harder to recruit people for these roles under formal employment contracts, potentially slowing operations on busy platforms.
Russia is reporting historically low unemployment, with figures showing a continued downward trend. As of the late spring period, unemployment hovered at a relatively modest level, prompting questions about how this policy shift could affect the labor market and the balance between flexible freelance work and traditional employment.
Earlier discussions have noted that some firms have begun to draw on younger workers to fill gaps caused by staff shortages, raising concerns about the implications for youth employment policies and the broader labor ecosystem.