Two lawyers for one courier

“There is a shortage in the market now, it's no secret to anyone”

According to Rosstat, from April to June, the registered unemployment rate in Russia was 2.6%. There are fewer and fewer unemployed applicants in the market, and employers across the country are forced to join the “salary race” and improve working conditions to persuade an applicant to join it. In the first half of the year, the average salary offered in the country was 61,497 rubles and increased by 11% compared to last year.

The situation in Tatarstan is even more tense: the unemployment rate in the second quarter was only 1.9%. At the same time, the average salary offered in the republic in the first half of the year increased by 15% and amounted to 66,239 rubles (almost by 5,000 more than the average in Russia), and the total number of vacancies increased by 32% compared to the same period last year.

Both in Russia as a whole and in the republic in particular, people of working professions are especially in demand — it seems that the universal long-term trend towards higher education has played a cruel joke on the labour market. Throughout the country, the most vacancies on the platform in the first half of 2024 were placed in the fields of “Production, raw materials, agriculture” (21% of the total), “Construction” (13%) and “Transport, Logistics” (7%). The same three are leading in Tatarstan, with slight variations in numbers (22%, 11% and 7%, respectively).

A situation where the job offer is approaching to exceed the demand is called the “jobseeker's market”. This means that it is the applicant who dictates the terms. According to the research presented by the speakers, the most important parameter when looking for a job is, of course, salary. Flexible conditions are in second place: people increasingly want to get a free schedule or work part-time, or work remotely. The third place is official employment. A good social package was not included in the top 3 conditions of applicants, but employers began to mention it in their vacancies one and a half times more often.

In conditions of a severe shortage of personnel, companies offer not only to employ people, but also to retrain them: over the year, the number of vacancies offering such an option has increased 3.2 times across the country.

Tatarstan employer is ready to hire pensioners, students and poaches other people's employees

In Tatarstan, a group of vacancies for students and candidates without work experience grew strongly on the platform at the end of August: in the first half of 2024, there were 84% more vacancies than a year earlier in the same period. This suggests that there is a trend towards expanding the boundaries of hiring: the employer is ready to invest in training, just to close the gaps in the staffing table. In addition, they expand age boundaries (age 45+ is becoming less and less an obstacle to successful employment) and even geographical ones (considers applicants from other regions and helps with relocation).

And they are also trying to lure other people's employees: according to a June study, 72% of respondents from Kazan received offers from hunters at the moment when they were already employed. 51% promised a higher salary, 30% — a comfortable schedule, 24% — interesting tasks and freedom of creativity, a promotion awaited 17%.

However, in order to get an employee, he needs to be offered bonuses and “perks”. Forty percent of Kazan respondents reported that their company has bonuses for achieving KPIs. Thirty-two percent admitted that they enjoy discounts on the company's services and products, 30% are happy to study at the expense of the employer. Twenty-seven percent of employees in Kazan drink tea and coffee for free in the office, 26% receive VMI from the company, and 25% also receive bonuses for years of service. Twenty-two percent of respondents travel to work at the expense of the company.

However, the applicant has now become demanding and wants to choose not only the bonus system, but also working conditions: so, in Kazan, only 52% are looking for a full-time job. 21% of applicants are interested in part-time work, 31% are eager to get a part-time job or work remotely. Working with a flexible schedule would suit 16% of applicants. But our fellow countrymen do not want to work in shifts at all: only 3% of applicants noted this opportunity for themselves, whereas in Russia this figure is 6%, and in the Volga Federal District — 9%. Apparently, in their native republic, chuck-chuck is sweeter.

One source of income is missing: 55% of Kazan residents admitted that they had been working part-time over the past year. The share of part-time workers among young people aged 18 to 25 is especially high — 74%. 10% of the part-time earnings are in trade, repair/construction and catering establishments. Contrary to the general trend towards the development of courier infrastructure, only 6% of all “part-time” young Tatarstan workers worked in the field of logistics and delivery.

Nail Khafizov, the regional representative of Avito Rabota in Tatarstan, adds another trend in an interview with our publication:

“Fast employment is gaining popularity. As it turned out during one of our studies, 59% of Kazan residents are employed within one month, and 37% of them within two weeks. Digitalisation and various automated tools offered by job platforms help accelerate the recruitment process and job search. 97% of Kazan residents who have been looking for work over the past year have done so online and 78% on specialised services.

As it turned out during one of our studies, 59% of Kazan residents are employed within one month, and 37% of them within two weeks.

Four lawyers are for one dentist

According to the platform, the most common vacancies in Kazan that require higher education from applicants are an accountant (the share of such vacancies on the portal is 20% of all those requiring higher education), an engineer (18%) and a sales manager (9%).

On average, an accountant is offered 61,803 rubles per month, an engineer — 82,592 rubles, and a manager — 72,875 rubles per month, provided he works full-time. The average dentist becomes the “richest” holder of higher education out of the top 5 professions that are sought in Kazan through the portal: they are offered 189,850 rubles per month. By the way, a valid certificate is required from them. Lawyers are offered an average of 57,750 rubles. Thus, it is not difficult to calculate that almost four lawyers are “given” for one dentist in the Kazan labour market.

But, as practice shows, the value of higher education seems to be exaggerated. For example, by the end of the summer of 2024, the average salary offered in the field of courier delivery increased by 51% compared to the same period in 2023. With full employment, an employee of this field in Kazan will receive 111,907 rubles per month (as two lawyers).

Let's compare the top 5 salaries in the list of in-demand specialists from among office and working professions.

So, office professions: sales manager is offered 76,130 rubles per month, engineer — 88,488 rubles, technologist — 81,823 rubles, marketer — 70,499 rubles, analyst — 85,637 rubles.

And now let's move on to the “blue collar workers”: a locksmith can count on 82,094 rubles, a welder — on 90,398 rubles, a freight forwarder — on 110,952 rubles, an installer — on 91,975 rubles, and a concrete worker — on 85,685 rubles.

NB: considering the above information, it should be borne in mind that here are data from only one job platform with its own specifics.

There have become more constructions in Kazan, but the shortage of builders is growing

In the first half of 2024, the demand for industrial specialists in Kazan increased by 27% year-on-year. The average salary offered in the industry has increased by 14%, and now in the capital of Tatarstan it is 66,408 rubles for a full-time job. But this is the average.

The turner became the highest paid specialist in production — in the first half of 2024, he could count on an average of 132,382 rubles for a full-time job. This is by 37% more than in the same period of 2023. The bricklayer is offered 130,917 rubles (an increase of 63%), and the installer — 100,976 (45% more than a year ago).

The construction sector is another sore area of the labour market in Kazan. Salaries are growing quite briskly here. For example, in July 2024, according to the platform, the average proposed salaries in the field of construction of industrial and infrastructure facilities increased by 15% year-on-year and amounted to 80,940 rubles with full employment.

For housing builders in Kazan, the salary increased on average to 80,478 rubles — by 16%. Concreters have “risen in price” the most in the construction segment — they are offered 141,576 rubles, by 62% higher than a year ago. A turner can count on 131,060 rubles per month (by a third more than in July 2023), and a finisher — on 108,789 rubles (the “rise in price” was 32%).

The most in-demand working professions in the construction industry in July 2024, compared with 2023, turned out to be a bricklayer (the number of vacancies increased by 170%, the average salary offered is 137,741 rubles), a concrete worker (the increase in the number of vacancies was 40%) and a plasterer (they are demanded by 35% more often than a year ago).

Roman Gubanov, the director of development at Avito Work, comments:

“The increase in the average salaries offered for workers employed in the construction sector is mainly due to a shortage of skilled workers. We are witnessing an active expansion of the market and an increase in construction volumes throughout Russia — this leads to increased demand for skilled workers. In addition to increasing salary offers, to attract staff, employers are now developing work with colleges and integrating into the educational processes of young professionals. Applicants are also often offered attractive benefits and bonuses — so, over the past year, the number of vacancies mentioning the most popular elements of the social package has increased by 58%.

Summer 2024: pensioners have become desirable employees, and salaries have grown the most among taxi drivers

If we look at the industries growing in salaries, the most stunning increase in average salaries in Kazan over the summer of 2024 was shown by the taxi and passenger cargo transportation sector: compared to last summer, salaries there increased by 88% and reached an average of 131,984 rubles. Domestic staff is in second place: growth is 67% yea-on-year, up to 83,512 rubles. And finally, for sales professionals, the average salary offered has increased by 26% to 60,354 rubles.

Another interesting trend is that the sad trend of rejecting age-related candidates seems to be ending: the number of vacancies marked “for pensioners” is growing. Kazan employers (at least in declarations of intent) have become more willing to invite specialists of retirement age. The demand for such employees has more than tripled. Moreover, for them, the salary increased by almost a quarter year-on-year and by the end of the summer of 2024 reached an average of 57,568 rubles per month for a full-time job. The most money is offered to age candidates from the field of freight transportation and logistics (133,040 rubles per month). But the trade sector expresses the greatest interest in retired employees (10.2% of all posted vacancies for which age-related candidates are considered).

Employers have become more flexible in their approach to processes within their organisation and are taking various actions to influence the situation.

Anna Osmak, the head of the key customer relations department at Avito Rabota, concludes:

“There is a shortage in the market now, it's no secret to anyone. It is difficult for an employer to close vacancies at the right time. We see strong competition among employers for employees, and we notice this in different fields of activity. Employers have become more flexible in their approach to processes within their organisation and are taking various actions to influence the situation. Thus, they improve working conditions, expand the social package, and offer various conditions of material and non-material motivation. And, of course, in order to compete effectively in the labour market, they offer a higher level of income (although we notice that the growth rate of salary offers is becoming more moderate).”