Russia faces shortage of taxi drivers

It is observed throughout the country shortage of taxi driversand in some regions the situation is becoming critical.

Photo: dt.mos.ru by Moscow City Department of Transport, CC BY 4.0

An online recruiting service reports a serious shortage of taxi drivers across Russia. There are fewer than two active resumes per open position. The problem is particularly acute in some regions: taxi companies are forced to look for personnel in related fields, since there are practically no people left who want to work behind the wheel.

In Karachay-Cherkessia, Ingushetia and Kalmykia it is impossible to find applicants for taxi driver vacancies at all. In these republics, as well as in seven other regions of Russia, there is virtually no competition in the taxi labor market.

In the Volgograd, Rostov regions and Stavropol Krai, there is also a shortage of drivers, although not in such a critical form: there are less than four resumes for each vacancy.

In Ingushetia, over the past six months, the number of vacancies in the taxi industry has grown three times compared to the number of new resumes. However, competition among drivers remains high – about 7 resumes per vacancy. A similar picture is observed in Dagestan, where over the year the number of vacancies has increased twice as fast as the number of new resumes.

Experts attribute the shortage of taxi drivers to several reasons, including a decrease in earnings due to rising fuel prices and increased competition, as well as a general shortage of new personnel in the labor market.

Clarifications

Taxi (from the French Taximètre “price meter”) – a vehicle designed to transport passengers to any destination with the fare measured by a taximeter.

Driver also a driver (from the French chauffeur – “stoker”, previously – chauffeur) – a person who drives a vehicle (car, cart, bus, trolleybus, tram, etc.). In addition, a “driver” is a person who teaches driving while being directly in the vehicle. Occasionally, an airplane pilot is also called a “driver”.

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