Russians Cash In on Higher Wages as War Drives Labor Shortages

  • Annual real wages rose 10.5% in June, beat analysts’ forecast
  • Unemployment in Russia also reached new record low in July

An employee holds ruble banknotes at a store in Moscow.

Photographer: Andrey Rudakov/Bloomberg 

Lock
This article is for subscribers only.

As Russia’s labor market feels the squeeze from the war in Ukraine, real wages are soaring for those who have a job.

They increased in June by an annual 10.5%, the Federal Statistics Service reported Wednesday, well above the median 9.4% rise forecast by analysts surveyed by Bloomberg. The growth in earnings offers a boost to Vladimir Putin as he prepares to seek a fifth presidential term in elections due early next year.