Altai Territory Still Struggling with Unmet Specialist Needs
Translation: The pool of hard-to-fill positions in the Altai region has shrunk by half within a year's time, as per data from hh.ru.
Let's scrutinize the labor market stats in Altai, based on hh.ru's data, which reveal that the list of scarce occupations is dwindling in 2025. Currently, there are 28 distinct professions in the Altai region, with fewer than four potential candidate resumes per each active vacancy. It's been observed that this list has decreased by 50% over the year (from 56 specialties at the onset of summer 2024).
Here are the Top 10 in-demand experts on the Altai region's labor market:
- Doctors (0.3 resumes per vacancy),
- Cleaners and real estate agents (0.7 each),
- Chief doctors and department heads (0.8),
- Pharmacists-providers (1.1),
- Turners, milling machine operators, and grinders (1.3),
- Cooks, bakers, and confectioners (1.6),
- Electricians, nurses, and PNR engineers (1.7 each), and plumbers and fitters (1.9).
Moreover, employers in Altai are grappling with pipelining agronomists, auto mechanics, salespeople, veterinarians, cleaners, metrologists, hairdressers, call center operators, and painters - all of which have fewer than four resumes per vacancy.
Meanwhile, professions such as seamstress, driver, loader, technologist, and accountant (with 4.9, 4.2, and 5.4 resumes per vacancy, respectively) have vanished from the list of scarce professions over the year.
Additional Insights:
As of 2025, the availability of region-specific data regarding current labor market trends in the Altai region is limited. However, a broader understanding can be gleaned from existing resources.
Overview of the Regional Labor Market:
- Education and Workforce Development: Altai State University is expanding its educational programs to mirror the evolving economic and business needs of the region, implying an ongoing adaptation to labor market demands[2]. This suggests that higher education institutions are taking steps to counteract the dearth in specific sectors by offering tailored training.
- Economic Context: The region's economy, particularly less industrialized areas like the Republic of Altai, is heavily dependent on subsistence agriculture and possesses limited natural resources. This restricts economic diversification and, consequently, the accessibility of skilled roles in advanced sectors[3].
Inferred Trends:
- Agriculture and Low-Skilled Labor: Given the reliance on subsistence farming, most local employment is likely concentrated in agriculture and associated low-skilled jobs. This results in scarcity in specialized or technical fields, such as healthcare, engineering, and IT.
- Migration and Depopulation Trends: Broader Russian demographic patterns demonstrate a dwindling population and negative natural growth[5]. Although not exclusive to Altai, these trends can intensify local labor shortages in professions that require higher education or specialized training.
- Economic Marginalization and Remoteness: The region's remote and economically disadvantaged status dissuades highly skilled professionals from considering opportunities in the region, who may prefer locations with more extensive economic prospects.
- In the evolving labor market of Altai, there seems to be a significant demand for specialists in healthcare, such as doctors, pharmacists, and nurses, as these roles have very few resumes available per vacancy.
- As Altai State University modifies its educational programs to meet the region's economic and business needs, there might be an increasing focus on health-and-wellness domains, as well as scientific fields, due to the current scarcity of candidates in these professions.
