What awaits Russia's labor market in 2026: minimal wage growth and layoffs
Employers are predicted to become even more selective in their hiring practices.
Salaries for Russians in 2026 are expected to either not grow at all or increase only minimally, by a literal 2.5–3%. In addition, the country will continue to see a wave of layoffs. Real income growth will only affect specific categories of workers.
In our Telegram channel «Poisk | NGS.RU | Work Novosibirsk,» we examined in cards how the labor market will change in 2026. Among the trends is the continuation of staff reductions.
Recently, NGS wrote that at the end of last year, the trend #nobuylist appeared on social media and at the beginning of 2026 became a mass movement. People publicly refuse impulsive purchases, compiling entire categories of things they definitely will not buy in the coming year. For more on the trend of conscious consumption and how it will affect the economy — read the article.
