Russian companies ready to recruit workers from Africa and India en masse – Russian media

Against the backdrop of an acute labour shortage resulting from Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Russian companies consider recruiting workers from Africa and India.

Source: The Moscow Times, citing the Russian propaganda outlet Izvestia, which published the results of a survey of more than 300 representatives of large businesses from all regions of Russia.

Details: One in eight (13%) employers are ready to hire candidates from Africa, including from the Central African Republic, Nigeria and Zimbabwe, as well as from India.

One in five companies (21%) are also prepared to employ citizens of China, North Korea, Thailand and Cambodia. Meanwhile, 38% of companies continue to rely on labour from CIS countries.

Overall, 37% of companies are currently employing foreign workers, more than half of them large businesses.

Another 43% of employers are ready to consider foreign nationals for existing vacancies.

According to the publication, interest in overseas labour – especially for mass positions – has increased markedly in recent years. Before Russia's full-scale war against Ukraine, only 5% of companies reported hiring foreigners, while 23% expressed readiness to do so.

The outlet Vazhnyye Istorii reported that foreign mercenaries are now being brought to Russia by private businesses, with farmers and construction companies allegedly forced to pay for it.

It is noted that the Russian army is becoming increasingly dependent on foreign mercenaries, who are often recruited through deception from poorer countries. Western intelligence agencies earlier this year observed that the losses of the Russian armed forces at the front had begun to exceed recruitment levels, and Moscow now needs to find new ways to mitigate the situation.

Background: Amid the worsening economic situation, Russian companies have sharply reduced their demand for workers.

Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!