MOSCOW, December 25. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin stated a record decline in unemployment, which had fallen to an-all time low 2.2%.
"The share of employed people among the economically active population has reached 97.8%, and unemployment has fallen to 2.2%. This is a very high employment rate and historically low unemployment," Putin said at a State Council meeting.
He noted that youth unemployment has always been slightly higher nationwide.
"But there are positive developments here as well. Unemployment among citizens under 34 is also steadily declining and in 2024 it reached 3.8%," the Russian leader said.
According to Putin, an additional 2.6 million people will be involved in the economy starting in 2022.
"This is a good indicator," he said. The President noted that the labor market is currently experiencing a labor shortage. Moreover, demand in certain sectors of the economy far exceeds supply, especially in occupations key to production. These include skilled workers and engineers. "There are nearly 28 vacancies for every registered unemployed person with a blue-collar job. Designers, technologists, and engineers are in high demand. In recent years, a number of significant steps have been taken to address this situation. These measures are reflected in the national projects 'Personnel,' 'Youth and Children,' and other documents," Putin said. He added that the engineering training system is changing and secondary vocational education is developing. "We must respond to today's most complex challenges even more proactively and effectively," the Russian leader concluded.