Russia's Labor Crisis and the Shift to 'Active Retirement' (legrandcontinent.eu)

• Loss of 2% of the Russian labor force since February 2022.
• Central Bank identifies severe, historic labor deficit.
• Shift toward 'active retirement' model as a survival mechanism.

"Russia is facing an unprecedented labor shortage as approximately 2% of its workforce has been lost to the war in Ukraine or emigration since 2022. Central Bank Governor Elvira Nabiullina highlights this as a critical bottleneck for the economy. The Kremlin is now incentivizing pensioners to rejoin the workforce to offset declining output. This strategy, while vital for the state, risks creating deeper socioeconomic disparities between urban elites and other demographics. The reliance on 'active retirement' mirrors a long-term structural pivot necessitated by war-time mobilization and aging demographics."