Delayed Wages in russia Are Becoming Widespread: Tens of Thousands of Families Are Left Without Income

At the end of the year, russia’s economy is showing signs of systemic tension, reflected in a sharp increase in complaints from citizens about violations of labour rights. According to rostrud, the number of complaints at the beginning of December exceeded 70,000, which is one and a half times more than last year. The largest increase was recorded in the category of complaints about delayed wages – more than 26,000 cases, which is by 60 % more than a year ago. At the same time, the number of complaints about illegal dismissals increased by 33 %.

Wage arrears became one of the key trends of the year. At the end of October, total debts reached 2.2 billion rubles, having increased by almost 11 % over the month. Compared to the same period in 2024, the figure tripled, having reached its highest level since August 2020.

Despite rosstat’s official reports of economic growth, its structure indicates a critical dependence on the military-industrial complex. Two-thirds of this year’s GDP growth was provided by the defense industry, which operates in three shifts. In the third quarter, 0.4 % of the 0.6 % economic growth went towards “public administration and security”. The share of the military-industrial complex in the new GDP has almost tripled compared to last year, when it accounted for only 1 point of the 4.3 % growth.

At the same time, corporate profits for the first three quarters of 2025 decreased by 7.7 %. This increases the risk of delayed wages, which leads to an increase in credit debt, problems in the banking sector, and the threat of a larger economic crisis. As of December 1, the amount of unpaid installments for new buildings reached 1.5 trillion rubles, which is 17 % of the contracts concluded.

This trend emphasizes that formal GDP growth in russia is increasingly based on military spending, while socio-economic indicators show a deepening crisis.