Overview

• Unemployment remained at minimal levels, with Labor Minister Anton Kotyakov citing August’s 2.1% rate and saying the job market will stay favorable for seekers in the near term.
• Kotyakov estimated roughly 5 million people work in the shadow economy and highlighted a minimum labor‑income threshold within the unified benefit—four minimum wages per year—to encourage formal employment.
• The minister reported 57% of returning SVO veterans are employed and called the share too low, noting workplace adaptation subsidies up to 200,000 rubles and regulatory changes to ease creation of suitable positions for disabled returnees.
• First Deputy Minister Olga Batalina said 2026 funding will add 8.8 billion rubles for long‑term care, targeting 10,000 additional recipients from the current 174,000, and raise spending on rehabilitation devices to 98.2 billion rubles, up 22.8 billion from 2025.
• Batalina also announced a 4.4 billion‑ruble increase for social contracts with a new track for SVO participants that waives the usual means test, and the 2026 production calendar sets a 12‑day New Year holiday from December 31, 2025 to January 11, 2026.