Central Asian Migrants Worst Hit by Coronavirus Job Losses in Russia, 8 July 2020

Migrant workers were almost twice as likely as Russians to lose their jobs during the coronavirus pandemic, new research has found.

Some 40% of Central Asian migrant workers in Russia reported that they were permanently laid off during the quarantine period, according to a survey conducted by the Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration (Ranepa), while 23% of Russians said the same.

Adding those who kept their jobs, but were put on unpaid leave during Russia’s non-working period — from late March until mid-May — a total of 75% of Central Asian migrants were not working at the height of the pandemic, compared to 48% of Russians...

The survey also revealed that “migrant workers were more aware of the danger of the coronavirus than locals,” and more likely to agree with the government’s policies to contain the spread, despite the high number of job losses.