Rosstat analyzed the salaries of Russians in 2023

In January-November 2023, workers employed in the production of clothing, electrical equipment and metal products benefited most from the shortage of personnel in the labor market – their salaries showed the maximum increase compared to the same period of the previous year, follows from the collection “Social economic situation in Russia.” In general, wages in the Russian Federation grew in all sectors – both in nominal and real terms. The maximum increase was recorded in the light and manufacturing industries, the minimum in the delivery, fishing and forestry industries.

Based on the results of 11 months, the average salary in the Russian Federation increased by 13.8% in nominal terms, reaching 71 thousand rubles. Taking into account inflation, the increase was 7.6%. The unemployment rate for the entire year was already one of the lowest in the last 20 years and amounted to 3.2%. The number of employed people, against the backdrop of a reduction in the number of unemployed, increased by 1.6 million people, to 73.6 million. Such a significant increase in employment increased the share of wages in the population’s income from 57.5% to 59%, the share of social payments decreased over the year from 20 % to 19.5%.

From Rosstat data it follows that in nominal terms, workers’ wages grew in all industries monitored by the agency (there are more than 50 of them). The maximum increase was recorded in the production of clothing (24.2%), electrical equipment (23.9%) and metal products other than machinery and equipment (23.8%), in the production of transport (22%) and computers (21.7%) . Among the outsiders in this indicator are postal and courier services (6%), fishing and fish farming (8%), forestry (8.6%).

Let us note that these Rosstat data—if we consider the intensity of wage growth as a reflection of the degree of worker shortage—show the situation with hiring and retaining workers somewhat differently than how online personnel platforms and services portray it. Let us remind you that they regularly report a shortage of IT specialists, couriers and blue collar workers (see Kommersant of September 26, 2023).

The “budget” sectors showed relatively good dynamics. Thus, salaries in the field of public administration increased by 15.4% in January-November, in education – by 12%, in healthcare – by 11%. It follows from this that the indexation of salaries of public sector employees at the beginning of 2023 covered the majority of those employed in the relevant fields. Note that although public administration showed the maximum increase in wages, indexation in this sector was only 5.5% (and by government decision it was further frozen until the fall of 2025).

In absolute terms, the maximum salaries, as statistics show, as before, are paid in the field of oil and gas production (on average 177 thousand rubles per month), in finance and insurance (152 thousand rubles), as well as in the sector fish farming (136 thousand rubles). In terms of regions, the maximum salaries were expectedly recorded in the Chukotka (153 thousand rubles) and Yamalo-Nenets (143 thousand) autonomous districts, as well as in Moscow (128 thousand rubles). The minimum monthly wages are in Ingushetia (34 thousand rubles) and Chechnya (36 thousand rubles). At the same time, the maximum increase over 11 months of the year was demonstrated by the salaries of workers in the Kurgan region (21%), Chuvashia (20.9%) and Mari El (19.5%).

Anastasia Manuilova