labor shortage

Putin doubles Russia's overtime limit, ditching a Soviet standard, as war drains workforce

Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a law doubling the maximum allowable overtime hours for Russian workers, from 120 to 240 hours per year, replacing a Soviet-era Labor Code standard that had been in force for more than 50 years, The Moscow Times reported on May 25.

26 May, 03:20 PM

Russia issues 36,400 visas to North Koreans in 2025, mostly disguised labor

Russian authorities issued 36,400 visas to North Korean citizens in 2025 — nearly four times more than the 9,239 visas the previous year — with the vast majority granted under the guise of education to import cheap labor, The Moscow Times reported on April 3.

3 April, 03:23 PM

Russia eyeing Afghan migrants to ease labor shortage

Russia is negotiating with Afghanistan to recruit labor migrants to address its severe workforce shortage, The Moscow Times reported on Feb. 2, citing Afghanistan’s ambassador to Moscow.

2 February, 08:45 PM

Russia plans 279k migrant workers for 2026

The Russian government intends to bring in more labor migrants from India, China, Malaysia, Bangladesh and African countries in 2026 - quota is planned at 279,000 people, which is 20% higher than this year, The Moscow Times wrote on Oct. 29.

29 October 2025, 02:38 PM

War cost Ukraine 40% of its labor force

Ukraine has lost roughly 40% of its working-age population after Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022, according to a report by the Social Policy Ministry on July 2.

2 July 2025, 10:27 PM

Labor-starved Russia now hiring workers in Myanmar

Several Russian regions struggling with severe labor shortages are now recruiting migrant workers from Myanmar—one of the world’s poorest nations, independent Russian outlet The Moscow Times reported on March 10.

10 March 2025, 08:20 PM

Ukrainian factory turns to Bangladesh to tackle war-driven labor crisis

The Lamella Furniture Factory in Ukraine's western Zakarpattya Oblast is recruiting 30 workers from Bangladesh to cope with labor shortages, commercial director Yaroslav Shcherban told the Ukrinform news agency on Jan. 28.

28 January 2025, 01:56 PM

Russian central bank raises rates to curb wartime inflation

Record military spending on the war against Ukraine is “overheating” the Russian economy, leading to labor shortages, macroeconomic imbalances, and rising inflation, Newsweek reported on July 27.

28 July 2024, 07:55 PM

Ukraine launches pilot program to train women as municipal bus drivers

Ukraine's Ministry for Communities, Territories, and Infrastructure Development, in partnership with UN Women in Ukraine, has launched a pilot program to train women as municipal bus drivers, the ministry announced on July 24.

24 July 2024, 04:35 PM

Men shortage sparks role reversal: Ukrainian women step in across industries

A surge of Ukrainian women is breaking into fields once dominated by men, stepping into roles like truck driving, security, locksmithing, and machine operation.

3 May 2024, 02:00 PM

No pressure from Poland: Ukrainian refugees' return a personal choice

Poland is taking a hands-off approach regarding Ukrainian refugees' decisions to return home, remaining "completely neutral" on the issue, the Polish Ambassador to Ukraine, Jaroslaw Guzy, said in a DW interview on March 13.

14 March 2024, 05:30 PM

labor shortage