Based on public statements by defense-sector officials and his own interviews, military expert Maxim Starchak, a Fellow at the Center for International and Defense Policy at Queen’s University, concludes that the growing shortages of workers in the military-industrial complex are an insoluble problem.

The “demographic hole” in Russia (by late 2022 the number of workers under 30 years old had dramatically decreased) only intensifies the competition for personnel. “There are now half as many young people on the labor market than required,” says Natalia Nikulinskaya, head of HR at Penza PTPA, a manufacturer of pipeline fittings.

Obviously, the war in Ukraine has significantly exacerbated the demographic issues. According to career consultant Galina Babkova, based on official data and calculations by independent media, 650,000 able-bodied men went to war in Ukraine.

Even though workers without skills and experience are immediately offered a good salary, it is still hard to find people, says Larisa Smirnova, an HR expert from Kostroma.

In June, industrial output in Russia slowed sharply, with the subsegments of military equipment and optics/electronics production falling for two straight months. This suggests that industry is plateauing amid the labor problems and tight monetary policy. Salary increases and other measures have ceased to push workers into industry, which is starting to slip.

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[–] andrew_bidlaw@sh.itjust.works 17 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago)

It has been told about IT too, but last I've heard it required some legwork from the employer to enable your protection and needed to be properly verified if you get the notice about recruiting. Some were sueing recruitment centers after being sent to the frontlines even.

The best strategy is keeping a low profile and contact government\banks\services as few times as possible, prefering cash over cards, being unofficially employed in a small company that don't play politics (some big employers had rectuiting quotas to please the admin) while living in a place other than your official registration. And not going anywhere even if called in: first time it's just a fee, and there weren't much noise about someone getting it as long as they are out of rec. center, in educational center or in armed forces where it becomes a crime with a heavy punishment.

I think that MIC workers get paid a looot, but the problem is that they have a lot of overwork and stress with so much demand so they may leave for a more calm civil employer.