Russian president Vladimir Putin addressed a government meeting and stated that unemployment in the country is at a record level. The remarks, conveyed by the Kremlin press office, frame the current labor market as evolving and shaped by regional differences rather than uniform conditions across Russia.
Putin asserted that unemployment in Russia is at an all-time low. Yet he added that this does not mean all labor market problems have vanished. The president emphasized that questions remain about the quality of work and how effectively jobs meet the needs of workers in various sectors.
He noted that in several regions and localities the unemployment rate remains higher than the national average. In areas where production has contracted, some enterprises have shifted workers to partial workloads or part-time schedules, a move that negatively impacts salaries and financial security for families.
Putin also pointed out that, on the whole, real incomes have risen across the country, but gains have not been evenly distributed. He called for a broader expansion of the national project on labor productivity and urged authorities to take more active measures to boost efficiency and job quality in affected regions.
In a related update, Deputy Prime Minister Tatyana Golikova reported that from the start of the year the number of officially registered unemployed in Russia fell by 15.5 thousand, reaching 549 thousand. The figures reflect ongoing shifts in the labor market as the government pursues programs to strengthen employment opportunities and productivity across the economy.