10.06.2026, 13:35
Gray employment in Russia was assessed
Source: OREANDA-NEWS
OREANDA-NEWS Unofficial incomes in Russia range from 5.5 million to 24.9 million people, depending on which criteria to evaluate. This is stated in the report "Gray Employment in Russia: scale, models, Whitewashing Potential" by the Agency for Economic Transformation and Development (APRE), which is referred to by Vedomosti.
The lower limit is taken into account citizens who do not have official employment, the status of an individual entrepreneur or self-employed, that is, those who receive income exclusively illegally.
The upper limit figures take into account those who earn extra money or receive part of their salary in an envelope, entrepreneurs who do not fully or partially declare income, pensioners with unofficial incomes and the self-employed with signs of an employment relationship.
According to experts, about 7.5 million people are ready to switch to a fully official employment format. In this case, the cumulative effect on government revenues will amount to 889 billion rubles — 349 billion in direct tax revenues and 540 billion in insurance contributions to off-budget funds.
ATRE assessed the scale of gray employment through an all-Russian online survey, which was attended by 3,266 people from all federal districts. Further, the data were extrapolated taking into account the number of workers in the country according to Rosstat for 2025 (73.8 million people).
According to the authors of the report, gray employment is mostly observed in industries with a high proportion of project, seasonal or flexible employment, especially in construction and repair, trade, logistics, cargo transportation, and so on.
It can be initiated by a self-employed person who wants to earn more income (31 percent), or by an employer who wants to save money (29 percent). Also, 21 percent of respondents reported that the decision was mutual, and 20 percent — that it came by itself.
More than a third (38 percent) of participants call the advantage of this format the opportunity to start and stop work freely, 29 percent speak about favorable conditions, and 28 percent appeal to industry practice. In other words, it's more about adapting to the realities of an already established market.
Earlier, experts warned that the Federal Tax Service (FTS) would begin to take an interest in Russians who receive regular income on a card without registering a business. Starting in 2027, the agency plans to introduce automated control over citizens' transfers.
The lower limit is taken into account citizens who do not have official employment, the status of an individual entrepreneur or self-employed, that is, those who receive income exclusively illegally.
The upper limit figures take into account those who earn extra money or receive part of their salary in an envelope, entrepreneurs who do not fully or partially declare income, pensioners with unofficial incomes and the self-employed with signs of an employment relationship.
According to experts, about 7.5 million people are ready to switch to a fully official employment format. In this case, the cumulative effect on government revenues will amount to 889 billion rubles — 349 billion in direct tax revenues and 540 billion in insurance contributions to off-budget funds.
ATRE assessed the scale of gray employment through an all-Russian online survey, which was attended by 3,266 people from all federal districts. Further, the data were extrapolated taking into account the number of workers in the country according to Rosstat for 2025 (73.8 million people).
According to the authors of the report, gray employment is mostly observed in industries with a high proportion of project, seasonal or flexible employment, especially in construction and repair, trade, logistics, cargo transportation, and so on.
It can be initiated by a self-employed person who wants to earn more income (31 percent), or by an employer who wants to save money (29 percent). Also, 21 percent of respondents reported that the decision was mutual, and 20 percent — that it came by itself.
More than a third (38 percent) of participants call the advantage of this format the opportunity to start and stop work freely, 29 percent speak about favorable conditions, and 28 percent appeal to industry practice. In other words, it's more about adapting to the realities of an already established market.
Earlier, experts warned that the Federal Tax Service (FTS) would begin to take an interest in Russians who receive regular income on a card without registering a business. Starting in 2027, the agency plans to introduce automated control over citizens' transfers.
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