The prestige of working professions in Russia rose nearly fourfold over the year.

      04 November 2025 08:14 Economy

      Over the year the prestige of skilled trades in Russia has grown almost fourfold: 45% of Russians consider the work of skilled workers the most respected*. A year earlier, 12% of respondents thought so.

      The most prestigious professions are considered to be welders (21%), CNC machine operators (20%), and lathe operators (18%).

      The rise in the attractiveness of skilled trades is partly due to higher demand from employers.

      “Qualified workers are the main specialists for the labor market. Over a five-year horizon, 70 percent of additional staffing needs, including replacing those retiring, will be competent, well-trained ‘blue-collar’ workers. Skilled trades are already well paid today, especially with experience. And this trend will continue,” commented Russia’s Minister of Labour and Social Protection Anton Kotyakov.

      The national project “Personnel” is intended to train specialists needed by the country’s economy, provide conditions for professional development, and raise the prestige of skilled trades.

      Personnel centers “Rabota Rossii” help jobseekers find their dream job and help enterprises select qualified specialists. Career consultants work personally with each individual, building a career path for them. After career guidance, the jobseeker can improve their qualifications or learn a new profession. The career consultant will invite them to events with employers, organize interviews, and after receiving a job offer will assist with paperwork and adaptation within the new team.

      Special aides for organizations — personnel consultants — cooperate with all employers, regardless of their form of ownership and number of staff. Each organization has its own personal manager who studies its request and on that basis forms a package of support measures and services. These include, for example, recruitment of specialists, mass selection, training and upskilling of specialists, and provision of state support measures. Interaction with employers also takes place digitally, on the “Rabota Rossii” platform.

      There are currently about 900 “Rabota Rossii” personnel centers operating in the country. By the end of this year another 480 centers will open on the basis of former employment centers.

      Representatives of in-demand skilled occupations can take part in the All-Russian professional skills competition “Best in Profession.” This year, for the first time in its history, it was held in 20 categories instead of the previous five. Next year the number of categories will increase to 24 — thanks to four categories from business.

      In support of the national project “Personnel,” a TV advertising campaign and outdoor advertising have been launched. On the country’s leading TV channels, video clips featuring representatives of the professions “foundry worker,” “engineer,” and “agronomist” will be shown.

      In November, in 29 major cities across the country, including 16 cities with populations over one million, you can see photos of the winners of “Best in Profession” 2025 in the categories “Seamstress” (Nadezhda Stepanova, Nizhny Novgorod Region), “Cook” (Konstantin Baldyshev, Vologda Region), “CNC Machine Operator” (Maxim Kasyanov, Chelyabinsk Region), “Lathe Operator” (Vadim Girka, Kaluga Region), “Excavator Operator” (Sergey Snegov, Nizhny Novgorod Region).

      *Study by hh.ru and ROKVUL, October 2025.

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