There or back, but you have to go – Newspaper Kommersant No. 58 (7503) dated 04/05/2023

The majority (62%) of Russians working abroad are ready to return to the country in the near future, according to the results of a joint study by the consulting company Yakov and Partners and the hh.ru online recruiting platform. The data for the study was collected during an online survey of more than 7,000 respondents.

As indicated in the study, respondents most often cite “personal reasons” (63%), the presence of great career opportunities in the Russian Federation (40%), and a more favorable economic environment in the Russian Federation than abroad (34%) as justification for their choice to return. . Further, among the reasons, the respondents mentioned the presence of visa restrictions in the host country (14%), the negative political situation in the host country (14%) and the end of their studies or work project (12%). It should be noted that the interest of those who left the country to return to the Russian Federation may be fueled by a shortage of personnel, as evidenced by surveys of both employers and job seekers. In addition, the unemployment rate in the Russian Federation has been declining throughout 2022 and now, according to data for February this year, is at a historic low (3.5%) and is likely to remain close to it until the end of this year. However, it is still unclear whether the competition of employers for personnel will lead to an increase in wages, not only in nominal, but also in real terms (for more details, see Kommersant of March 27 and the text next to it).

At the same time, among the respondents living in Russia, 60% declared their readiness, on the contrary, to leave the country. In 2018 and 2020, the share of such respondents was lower – 46% and 47%, respectively. The indicator for the Russian Federation now exceeds the average for other countries of the world (50%). As expected, Russian men turned out to be more mobile (64% versus 52% among women), in the professional context, there is a higher willingness to move among specialists in the field of linguists and journalists (37%), representatives of engineering and design specialties (34%) and lawyers (33%) . The lowest level of willingness to move was demonstrated by doctors (15%). Among the most attractive countries for relocation, the Russians named the United States, Canada, Cyprus, Turkey and Germany, which corresponds to the preferences of residents of other countries of the world. However, only 6% of those who say they are ready to leave are actually actively looking for employment opportunities abroad.

Anastasia Manuylova