By 2029, the labor shortage in the industry could reach 1.6 million people
According to the analytical report "The Occupational Safety Market in Russia 2026," the industry is aging: the share of workers under 30 has decreased from 22% to 12%, while 83% of young employees consider improving working conditions a critically important factor. As a result, enterprises are competing for talent not only with salaries but also with the quality of the workplace — from the level of safety to how modern it looks.
The shortage of people also affects those responsible for production safety. In 2024, employers were looking for more than 61,000 occupational health and industrial safety specialists, and filling such a vacancy at a large enterprise can take anywhere from three to six months.
According to a study by the FNPR (Federation of Independent Trade Unions of Russia) and BIOT (Research Institute of Occupational Health), occupational safety specialists spend about 72% of their working time on paperwork and only 28% directly on monitoring working conditions and making decisions. The labor shortage is pushing enterprises toward automation: digital tools allow specialists to free up time to focus on real risks.
This transition is only just beginning: artificial intelligence in occupational safety is currently used by 5.8% of companies, and the overall level of automation in the industry stands at about 22%. One of the emerging solutions is a service-based model for providing workwear: the penetration of rental services in Russia is estimated at around 5%, compared to 50% in Europe, while the demand for rental is growing by approximately 30% per year.
"Modern workwear can simultaneously protect a person, make everyday work easier, and change the visual image of working professions — which is especially important for the generation that enterprises are trying to attract to the industry today," Kiuru concludes.
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