Page 62 - RusRPTJan21

because unemployment benefits have been small and it is difficult to apply for them. In the spring, benefits paid to the unemployed were significantly increased and it was easier to apply for benefits. Half of those currently registered as unemployed have previously been out of the labor force. However, the increases in unemployment benefits are temporary and many of them ended in early October. In October, the number of people registered as unemployed started to fall slightly. In addition to unemployment, the number of people outside the labor force has also increased.
As in previous economic crises, the Russian labour market has adapted this time through channels other than rising unemployment. In the spring, the average monthly salary fell sharply momentarily, and in surveys, up to 40% of respondents have reported a decrease in their salary. The number of hours worked also fell sharply in the spring, when many workers were assigned to compulsory leave or to work reduced hours.
The corona crisis also seems to have been reflected in the gray labor market and migrant workers, although the effects are difficult to assess. Rosstat estimates that the number of people working in the informal labor market fell sharply in the spring. The corona crisis has hit the service sector in particular, where gray work is more common. It is also easier to dismiss those working in the informal labor market. On the other hand, there are some indications that some workers have wanted to enter the informal labor market in order to increase compensation for the unemployed while working. It is estimated that a large proportion of migrant workers (up to 40% in Moscow) lost their jobs in the spring, as a result of, which some of them returned to their home countries. Due to interest rate restrictions, the number of migrant workers coming to Russia has decreased significantly this year.
62 ​RUSSIA Country Report​ January 2021 ​ ​www.intellinews.com