Results and new objectives of social policy discussed at the Board Meeting of the Ministry of Labour at the National Centre RUSSIA

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An Expanded Board Meeting of the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection of the Russian Federation took place at the National Centre RUSSIA on 13 March. The event brought together representatives of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation, staff of the ministry, social protection services, employment services, the Social Fund, Rostrud and medical and social expertise institutions, as well as social partners and experts.

"On the instruction of the President and with the direct participation of the ministry, the implementation of updated national projects in the social sphere has begun across the country, including such projects as 'Personnel' and 'Family'. For the first time, a forecast of workforce demand was prepared for a seven-year period. There were other complex and labour-intensive tasks as well. The ministry’s team approached them with dedication. It is very important to continue improving the system of state support for citizens, especially families. The number of large families last year grew to almost 3 million. Around 9.5 million children are being raised in them. Their parents must continue to receive attention, care and assistance in addressing the most pressing issues. On the instruction of the Head of State, we extended the maternity capital programme until 2030. Its amount was indexed in February and now stands at nearly 730,000 roubles for the first child and more than 960,000 for two children. The unified allowance remains an important support measure. Since January, eligibility for it has been preserved even when income thresholds are exceeded. The law has already been signed by the President," said Chairman of the Government of the Russian Federation Mikhail Mishustin, addressing the participants of the Board Meeting.

Another important area, according to the head of the Russian Government, is support for participants in the special military operation and their families. He noted that the range of assistance measures for veterans continues to expand and is being supplemented with new initiatives, both in rehabilitation and employment. From this year, a social contract for starting a business has become available to them under simplified conditions. Mikhail Mishustin added that service members and their relatives must receive all the support provided to them in full and on time.

"For several years now our country has been working under difficult conditions of severe sanctions and restrictions. Yet despite all these challenges, the social sector represented here today at the National Centre RUSSIA — the Ministry of Labour, the Social Fund, Rostrud, medical and social expertise institutions, federal institutions and regional ministries — is successfully carrying out its tasks and ensuring that the state’s social obligations are fulfilled," said Tatyana Golikova, welcoming the participants.

The Deputy Prime Minister spoke about the tasks that require special attention from the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection of Russia. These concern the key areas of social policy. In particular, she addressed the implementation of the national projects "Family" and "Personnel" and the demographic strategy, thanks to which a number of regions have seen rising birth rates and an increase in the number of large families. She also highlighted efforts to reduce poverty and support families through the social contract, the development of active longevity programmes and the creation of modern social infrastructure. Particular attention is being paid to improving labour productivity in the social sector and introducing digital technologies. In addition, Tatyana Golikova spoke about the forecast of workforce demand in the economy, the preparation of a strategy for adapting the labour market to technological change, work with young people and the modernisation of the targeted education system, as well as the publication of rankings of educational institutions based on graduate employment outcomes.

Minister of Labour and Social Protection of the Russian Federation Anton Kotyakov spoke about the first results of the national projects and the mechanisms for implementing the state’s priority tasks. He also shared plans for 2026.

"Meeting here at the National Centre RUSSIA to review the results of our work over the past year and discuss the tasks ahead has already become a tradition. The past year was marked by a number of significant developments: at the initiative of the President, new national projects — 'Family' and 'Personnel' — were launched, as the Chairman of the Government noted today in his welcoming remarks. The national project 'Family' has brought together the key support measures for families with children: maternity capital, family mortgages, birth payments, the unified allowance and a new family tax benefit, which we will work on this year. For the first time, support for large families has been designated as a separate project. The development of regional demographic programmes has also become an independent area of work," said Anton Kotyakov.

He also added that the national project "Personnel" has created a foundation for long-term management of the labour market. It combines both policy instruments and direct support measures for job seekers and employers. Last year, its performance indicators exceeded 98%.

As Anton Kotyakov noted, unemployment has stabilised at a historic low of 2.2%. He also recalled that, according to Rosstat, the average wage increased by 13.5%, while real wages — that is, wages adjusted for inflation — grew by 4.4%.

During the Board Meeting, Deputy Chair of the State Duma Anna Kuznetsova also spoke, as did Chair of the State Council Commission on the 'Family' track and Head of the Republic of Mordovia Artem Zdunov with a report titled "Implementation of the national project 'Family': the regional dimension", and Chair of the State Council Commission on the 'Personnel' track, Governor of the Kaluga Region Vladislav Shapsha.

In addition, a ceremony to present state awards was held as part of the Expanded Board Meeting of the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection of the Russian Federation. During the ceremony, Tatyana Golikova and Anton Kotyakov presented Medals of the Order "For Merit to the Fatherland" II Class, Badges of Distinction "For Impeccable Service", Letters of Gratitude from the President of the Russian Federation, Honorary Certificates of the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection of the Russian Federation, Letters of Gratitude from the Ministry of Labour, as well as departmental badges of distinction "Honorary Mentor of the Ministry of Labour of Russia".