Kirill Chernovol, Researcher of the International Best Practices Analysis Department at the Gaidar Institute, commented for RTVI on a trend of reducing labor costs in Russian companies demonstrating growth in revenue and profits
Based on SPARK data, RTVI found that every fourth company earning revenues exceeding Rb100 mn in 2025 reduced employee benefits, and 10% of organizations cut this item of expense while simultaneously increasing turnover. These cuts most often affect variable compensation rather than salaries, i.e. bonuses and rewards, which become less achievable, however, the criteria for their payment become more stringent.
According to the expert, this dynamic is linked to macroeconomic expectations rather than to current financial position of businesses. Even with nominally high revenue figures, companies face rising borrowing costs, high inflation expectations, and rising working capital costs. Under these circumstances, employers adopt a more cautious HR policy, including curbing hiring and revising bonus terms.
Kirill Chernovol also noted the discrepancy between revenue and net profit trends. According to statistics, business revenues for H1 2025 increased by 19%, while net profit declined by 8.3%. Thus, a situation arises when seemingly prosperous companies are forced to optimize expenses, while the payroll fund becomes one of the most important items to be optimized. Moreover, these cuts most often affect the variable component of compensation, i.e. bonuses and incentives rather than salaries.