AI Skills See Sharp Uptick in Russian Job Market

Demand for workers with AI proficiency surged across Russian regions in 2025, especially in sales and customer service

A growing number of job openings across Russia now require artificial intelligence (AI) skills, with the Ural Federal District (UFD) showing a 44 percent year-over-year increase in 2025, according to a recent report.

The job platform hh.ru reports that the Sverdlovsk Region leads AI-related hiring in the UFD, accounting for 56 percent of all relevant postings. Chelyabinsk Region follows with 29 percent, while Tyumen Region rounds out the top three with 11 percent of AI-oriented listings.

Sales and customer service roles top the chart in AI demand, making up 19 percent of AI-related vacancies—an increase of 33 percent from the previous year. Software developers and programmers see AI listed as a requirement in 8 percent of postings, with demand almost doubling at a 98 percent growth rate. Financial analysts and marketers also see rising demand, each with 8 and 6 percent respectively of job ads referencing AI.

Nationwide, 17 percent of Russian companies now consider AI experience a hiring factor, while 11 percent of employers are offering bonuses to employees proficient in the technology.