Russia to ease child-labor rules as war squeezes worker supply, 10 November 2022

Russia is planning to ease restrictions on child labor, removing rules that had made it hard for teenagers to get jobs as the economy struggles under sanctions and the impact of the mobilization of 300,000 reservists for the war in Ukraine.

Citing the need to boost the supply of labor amid “sanctions pressure from unfriendly countries,” legislators from the ruling United Russia party proposed legal amendments to make it easier for teenagers from 14 years old to get part-time jobs. 

“A teenager’s income also would be additional financial support for families and help instill a sense of responsibility,” the proposal said.

While such work is common in many other countries, current Russian rules require social-services agencies to give permission and demand a range of costly checks for employers to hire them, limiting the popularity of student labor. The draft law would remove those, effective in March 2023...

Economic officials have warned that the call-up announced in September and the exodus of hundreds of thousands more Russians that followed are worsening an already-severe shortage of workers. The unemployment rate is near record lows at 3.9% and economists warn the lack of labor is likely to constrain growth in the future.