The best employment prospects in Russia are found in the cities of Moscow and St. Petersburg. In July 2020, the unemployment rate in Russia was estimated at 6.3%. Since the beginning of the year, this number has increased by almost 30%, albeit this is mostly due to the effects of COVID-19. Approximately one-quarter of its GDP is produced by its labor force, and Moscow has the highest employment rate in the country.
Retail, tourism, healthcare, and education are some of the most prominent service sectors which account for more than half of all jobs in the country. The three most important industrial fields are mining, manufacturing, and building.
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Biggest international employers in Russia
Positions requiring fluency in English are plentiful in the largest cities, mostly in multinational corporations. The following are some of Russia’s most prominent foreign employers:
- Japan’s global tobacco industry.
- EuroChem.
- Toyota Volkswagen.
- Apple.
- Job seekers at a Russian Career Fair.
Some of Russia’s largest employers are:
- Oil and gas giant Gazprom.
- Energy company Lukoil.
- Russian Financial Institution Sberbank.
- Russian railways transportation.
- Rossetti PAO (energy).
Russian job openings
It may be difficult to discover open positions here, depending on your background. Jobs for native English speakers include teaching English (or another language), working for a global corporation in fields like energy, finance, or construction, and (if you’re multilingual) translating. The English teaching communities of BKC International and English First are worth exploring.
The following are some of Moscow’s most in-demand industries:
- IT.
- Company development.
- Finance.
- Resource management.
- Pharmaceutical and medical.
St. Petersburg suffers from a lack of:
- People who work in sales.
- Drivers.
- Engineers.
- Experts in the technical arts.
- Russian wage levels.
Every six months, the minimum wage is evaluated, and while it often goes up, it doesn’t always. In January 2020, it increased to R12,130 per month.
As of June 2020, a typical wage was as little as over R52,000 per month. However, many Moscow residents earn more than R75,000 per month, suggesting that earnings there are greater than in the rest of Russia.
Societal Norms in Russia
Russia’s Soviet heritage explains why the country’s businesses are typically hierarchical and bureaucratic, with a plethora of laws and regulations. Business negotiations might go on for a long period because of this. This, however, has begun to alter as the Russian economy has opened up progressively from the early nineties. Many companies still adhere to more traditional values and norms, and personal networks can be crucial to making professional headway. Long business lunches and even weekend invitations to stay with business associates are frequent in Russian culture.
Russia’s labor code and workers’ protections
The Russian Labor Code of 2002 codifies Russian labor law. Written employment agreements are the norm. According to Russia’s Labor Code, there are primarily three varieties of employment agreements:
Free-text variety
The most up-to-date employment contract option is the free-text variety, which does not specify a duration of employment but does include a termination clause.
Definite-time employment contract
When a temporary worker is offered a permanent position, the employer and worker enter into a definite-time employment contract, which can last for up to five years.
Seasonal employment contract
A seasonal employment agreement with a duration of just two months.
Workers here should put in no more than 50 hours a week, and the typical workweek lasts 40 hours. All full-time employees are guaranteed at least 28 days of paid vacation every year. In addition, it celebrates a number of national holidays each year.
Here, there is no standard notice duration across all contract termination scenarios. They can be as short as one day and as long as two months (in situations like layoffs and corporate collapse). Typically, workers are required to give two weeks’ notice before leaving their positions.
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In both Moscow and St. Petersburg, there is no shortage of employment agencies and online job boards. However, they are most effective for those who have extensive experience and education and are targeting large corporations. The vast majority of these firms will only accept CVs written in English and submitted via email or their website.
Finding out if foreign companies you’re interested in are doing business within Russia can be accomplished by making direct contact with them from your home country. The likelihood of employment for foreign nationals in such enterprises is higher in Russia.
Governed resources for finding work
The Russian Federal Service for Labor and Employment (ROSTRUD) provides a job-finding platform in addition to data on the Russian labor market.
