In Russia, the number of employees of large and medium-sized organizations on unpaid leave in the July-September 2023 period was 3.44 million people. This is stated in a study by the audit and consultancy network FinExpertiza, based on Rosstat data. RBC.
The study states that the figure increased by 4% compared to the same period in 2022, becoming a record for at least a decade.
Experts also found that the number of idle employees decreased by 2.4 times during the year. It fell below 100 thousand for the first time in ten years; Just under 99 thousand. According to researchers, this is due to personnel shortages and a record drop in unemployment. According to Rosstat, while the unemployment rate in the Russian Federation was 3% in the summer months, it fell to 2.9% in October, the lowest level in history.
Experts believe that the increase in the number of vacationers, against the background of a decrease in the number of employees during free periods, at their own expense, may indicate an intensification of the problem of hidden unemployment. That is, in a difficult economic situation, it is more profitable for an employer to force employees to take unpaid vacation than to pay for downtime.
But on the other hand, according to their estimates, the increase in the number of holidays at their own expense may indicate an increase in the amount of overtime in companies, which employees try to compensate for with leaves. If we go into unpaid leave statistics, taking one day off is enough.
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