Russia considers allowing 12-year-olds to work amid war-linked labour shortage

Posted on by Taiwo Adebulu

2 min readJun 5, 2026 06:03 PM IST

Russia is discussing whether children as young as 12 should be allowed to work during school holidays as the country grapples with worsening labour shortages linked to the war in Ukraine.

According to a report by The Telegraph, Moscow Children’s Rights Commissioner Olga Yaroslavskaya suggested reviving supervised youth work programmes reminiscent of the Soviet era, arguing that many teenagers want opportunities to earn money during vacations.

What has been proposed?

Yaroslavskaya argued that many teenagers want opportunities to earn money during their summer holidays and that supervised work could help them gain experience. She suggested revisiting current labour regulations, which generally allow employment from the age of 14 under specific conditions, and exploring whether younger adolescents could participate in structured holiday work programmes, the report added.

The proposal has not been introduced as legislation and remains part of a broader public discussion on how to address labour shortages. The Telegraph noted that the idea has sparked debate because it touches on child welfare concerns while recalling Soviet-era youth labour initiatives.

Why is Russia facing a labour shortage?

The discussion comes as Russia faces one of the most severe workforce shortages in its recent history. According to Reuters, the country’s labour market has been strained by a combination of factors, including military mobilisation, recruitment into the armed forces, demographic decline, an ageing population, and the departure of large numbers of working-age Russians since the invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

Reuters has reported that employers across sectors such as manufacturing, construction, transport and services are struggling to fill vacancies. Russian officials have repeatedly warned that labour shortages are becoming a major constraint on economic growth.

Searching for workers

To address the shortage, Russia has explored multiple measures, including recruiting more foreign workers. Reuters recently reported that Russian businesses and officials have sought to attract workers from countries such as India to fill gaps in industries facing acute staff shortages.

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