Economics
Putin’s Fear of Unemployment Is Being Exposed by Pandemic
- Russia’s strict labor laws make lay offs almost impossible
- Situation is deepening poverty after years of falling incomes
Chairs sit on a table at a restaurant in Moscow.
Photographer: Andrey Rudakov/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
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Elena, a 42 year-old Moscow shop assistant, has a family to feed, a mortgage to pay, and half the income she was receiving a month ago. She can’t apply for support because she hasn’t lost her job, but Russia’s labor laws make it almost impossible for her employer to make her redundant.