“Are you over 14? Go to work!” Putin’s new idea to fight sanctions

Amendments to the Russian Labor Code have already been developed and presented in State Duma by the deputies of United Russia. – Under the pressure of economic sanctions from countries hostile to the Russian Federation, the work of a teenager, and therefore income, also means financial support for the family and the formation of a sense of responsibility – we read in the justification of the bill.

If the changes are adopted, Russian citizens over the age of 14 will be able to conclude employment contracts with employers without the written consent of their parents or guardians, as required by current legislation. According to the deputies, young people will be able to combine education and work. This would allow the implementation of a long-term program to promote youth employment by 2030.

Lawmakers referred to a survey conducted by the Russian public opinion polling center VTsIOM in 2021, which showed that 91 percent. High school students want to work during the summer vacation. In addition, they also referred to research conducted by the All-Russian People’s Front and the Russian Pupil Movement, which showed that 9th and 10th graders were ready for work before the age of 18.

“This allows us to conclude that among adolescents aged 14-17 there is a demand and interest in work and the possibility of obtaining basic earnings, as well as a desire to learn and master various professions – summed up the authors of changes in work in the Code of the Russian Federation, but it seems that it is not about It’s just about the ambitions of young people.

The war in Ukraine Exacerbates labor shortages in Russia. According to the Ministry of Economic Development of the Russian Federation, after the mobilization was announced in September, the Russian economy lost 600 thousand jobs. employees, i.e. the number of people able to work decreased from 75.5 to 74.9 million.

Central Asian migrants not helping – many of them Flee from Russia because of the war. According to data from Rosstat (Federal State Statistics Service), 444,000 people entered Russia in the first eight months of 2022. Migrants, and 506 thousand left. People. Thus, the outflow of emigration reached 62 thousand. People. This was not the case even during the pandemic in 2020, when the influx of migrants fell to 68.8 thousand. People.

In a worst-case scenario, the economy could lose up to 1.4 percent. Employees – says Dmitrij Poliug, chief investment officer at Loko-Invest. In his opinion, the mobilization announced by President Vladimir Putin is a blow to Russia’s demographics, labor market and investment climate.